Circa 1880
Antique Gold, Sapphire & Diamond Snake Bracelet
Information
Director’s Notes
The snake motif has been used in jewellery for centuries, in Ancient Egypt the snake symbolised royalty and divinity, for the Ancient Greeks it was a symbol of healing and medicine. It also had a surge of popularity during the Victorian era after Queen Victoria received a snake ring from Prince Albert upon their engagement. The motif continued to be incredibly popular in jewellery of the 20th Century and can be seen reimagined in so many ways throughout the decades. The snake is frequently associated with the qualities of wisdom, power, eternal love and everlasting life and the smooth sinuous lines considered a thing of beauty, indeed William Hogarth referred to ‘the serpentine line’ as a ‘line of beauty’ in his ‘The Analysis of Beauty’