#6431

 frog with demantoids and diamonds.  

The transformation of creepy creatures to objects of beauty.

When the famous Mexican actress, Maria Felix ordered a snake necklace from Cartier, she demanded it not only realistic in size, but appearing ready to strike. Why? What was the appeal?

Does danger thrill you or do you simply find it dark, scary and creepy? We are automatically repulsed by many species of animal. In painting, literature and sculpture, they may be considered evil. Weird but true: in antique jewelry, these same fearsome creatures are beloved, admired and sought after. 

Is it the delicious emotion of transforming hideous into a thing of beauty? Is it a matter of safety and control? Do these creatures embody mystery, duality, desire - fascinating aspects of ourselves that we tend to suppress?
Are they symbols of power? 
Perhaps Mother Nature is much wiser than us and the truth is that they are beautiful, wondrous creatures.

Topping the list of yuk are snakes.  So beloved in the jewelry world that they have their own blog post. 

Spiders and spider-webs appealed especially during the late 19th - early 20th centuries. Every spider jewel I owned sold fast. Same with bats. Just go find a great antique bat jewel - I challenge you. Scorpion jewelry - all gone. 

  #7114  mouse or rat. 

I asked ChatGPT what makes rat or mice jewelry so appealing. I got a long, long answer, but none of it made sense to me or struck a chord. I think the reason is inexplicable.  We would need to unravel our psyche to understand the transformation from "yuk" to cute, clever and comely. 

Across cultures, crocodiles are popular in jewelry.  These 'evil, scary' animals are endowed with varied powers.  Do we assume some of those powers when we wear a crocodile jewel? The same Maria Felix we mentioned above, had an enormous crocodile necklace also made by Cartier. In India, crocodile bangles have been popular for centuries.
#4929  crocodile bracelet over 200 years old.

Some animals teeter on the border of great appeal and revulsion. What on earth is cute about a tortoise in real life? It is cumbersome and clumsy, yet in jewelry it sparkles and shines.
Same with frogs that many of us see as slimy. We all remember the fairytale of the frog prince (love transforms an ugly frog into a handsome prince). Is that what it's all about?  
#6836  turtles  

How about pigs? Personally, I think the real, live animals deserve more respect from us humans. Regardless of my personal pro-piggy opinion, jewelry makers over the centuries have seen that "special something" in piglets and porkers.
#7106 pig pin

Ultimately, I cannot explain the allure and glamour of the unlovable, scary and fearsome or, from dark to diamonds. 

#5744 This is part of a series of blog posts all about animals in antique jewelry.  Keep Reading.

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