Wednesday, July 15, 2009

'Behind the Scenes': The Ancient Splendor Collection

(To the left: Joie de Vivre - antique 20K-22K jeweled mughul pendant in the shape of a 'dancing' peacock with feathers of carved ruby or spinel, a head of uncut diamonds and the body a large faceted emerald)

I describe my work as the light-hearted result of superb gems, striking color combinations and the warmth of high carat gold. However, my primary design inspiration comes from the gold-enriched splendor of ancient civilizations as well as more recent ones like Mughal India.

It’s this love of history that inspired my Ancient Splendor Collection. Working with antique 20K-22K Indian plaque amulets and jeweled Mughal pieces, I pairs each exceptional 'link to the past' with a variety of high quality gems. The result? An eclectic blend of opposites described by some as ethno contemporary, traditional Indian motifs presented with a unique, modern twist.

“Most obviously, Indian adornment is a form of beautification. But it also functions symbolically as a vital repository of shared meaning, a metaphorical language communicated from the wearer to the viewer that speaks of spiritual protection, prosperity, respect and social definition. Therefore each piece arouses my curiosity about the person for whom it was originally made and the history they lived. By the time I work with the pendants they’ve become so separated from their original context that the stories about what they meant to their wearers or said about them are long lost. So I like to think that each of my finished pieces begins to create a new story of meaning.”

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