If it´s possible at all to point out a certain object to be the source of my style it has to be this necklace. My great grandmother, Fanny, a lady with Sami origin (natives living in the north of Sweden) got this as a gift 1947.It´s a 925 sterling silver pendant with a rococo lady and beautiful ornaments. I´ve always adored this piece. The design contains everything I want to achive with my own jewelry; interesting swirly details, a feminine expression and a wonderful balanced composition (even though it´s assymetrical).
Ever since I got this necklace in my hands I´ve loved it. And when I found it again today and polished it - it all seemed so clear to me. This necklace must be the explanation for my love for swirly jewelry. Of course being brought up in the 70´s with stripes, large flower patterns and pine wood furniture can also be reason to my preferance for inricate, swirly and shiny materials :).
Being a Swede I´m supposed to embrace the nordic "blond" minimalistic designs so common here. I think no other people has taken "less is more" as serious as the Swedes. :)
I don´t have any daughters of my own, but will hopefully have grand daughters to pass this on to. And I´m sure they will treasure it like I do – even if fashion changes all the time and it will only lie in their jewelry boxes.
Do YOU have a particular object that can be the source of your taste and style? I´d love if you shared the story here. It doesn´t have to be about something that inspires you to make jewelry - it can be anything.
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I DO!! A little porcelain figurine of a dancing woman in a long flowing gown. From her clothes I would say it's from the late 1930s. I've always loved that little statuette. It was my grandmother's and then my mother's and now it's mine. :D I'll take some pics of it and post it too.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing. Things like these are so much fun to read.
Suzy, I also have something that has inspired me, though I don't think that I come close to attaining it's beauty, yet. For me, it was a ring that my grandmother gave me when I was 16, that had been her mother's before her. It was gold and had a beautiful, raised, filigree setting, with the typical swirls and etc that are associated with filigree. The stone when I was a girl was an opal, though it broke and was replaced with a garnet before I inherited it. It was very Victorian looking, and I loved it. Unfortunately, it was stolen from me several years ago, so I can't provide any pictures.
ReplyDeleteSuzy - I agree with "less is more". Perhaps deep down in my soul I am Swede? Thou looking at my dark hair and "Italian" complexion it is doubtful ;P
ReplyDeleteAs to objects I've got a bed-cover, which belonged to my great grandmother from my mom's side.It is heavy and in green of chrome diopside. I do not know name of technique, but it looks like a fur, but made with fabric, very heavy one, from which "stand out" stiff, short strands. And it have black-red-white swirly ornaments on green-chriome-diopside background. Looks Victorian.
I love to read your comments. Thanks for sharing your sources!
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