J’ai réinventé le passé pour voir la beauté de l'avenir.”
(I reinvented the past to see the beauty of the future.)
— Louis Aragon
Bonjour,
What beautiful words…especially in French. "Reinvent the past to see the beauty of the future." That is exactly what I hope to do when designing jewelry from heirlooms and other antique components. I love to examine each item and imagine its past life.
This beautiful buckle is a great example. What exactly did this buckle fasten in its former life? Was it an ornament on an elegant lady's dainty shoe, such as the ones below (which is most likely)?
Did it secure an opulent silk sash on the narrow waist of a Victorian aristocrat? Or, perhaps, it was an adornment on a turn-of-the-century handbag. As I refashion these precious jewelry pieces, I love to ponder these very questions…and more.
Although I am no expert in the history of the components I use, I have some basic knowledge of their age. In most instances, I am relying on the information provided by the items' sellers. However, I do have a vivid imagination and love to create a past for these lovely decorations…a past where they had a purpose and an owner who, as I do, loved their beauty. In restyling these items, I hope to enhance their beauty and extend their "lives." And doesn't that buckle look much prettier dangling from a crystal-beaded chain as opposed to cast aside and forgotten?
Do you have a special item from the past? Let me reinvent its past…together we can see the beauty of its future.
Adieu,
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