The Year Of The Snake: Bvlgari’s Serpenti Collection Comes To The Fore
Like the Ouroboros, the mythical serpent that bites its own tail forming a circle without beginning or end, the creations of the Bvlgari Serpenti collection become one with the wearer in an infinite cycle of continuous rebirth
Serpenti is Bvlgari is Serpenti is Bvlgari is Serpenti is Bvlgari is Serpenti… a sort of magic formula with an enveloping and persuasive sound, imagined by Harper’s Bazaar to pay tribute to the year that has just begun under the sign of the Serpent. A mythical animal, one of the most venerated and represented symbols since ancient times, since the 1940s it has also become Bvlgari ‘s most eclectic icon, from jewels, accessories and unmistakable watches, to the most precious creations, a perfect synthesis between art and the highest goldsmith craftsmanship of excellence.
The famous Roman jewelry brand, precisely in the Year of the Serpent, chooses to celebrate its history of savoir-faire and avant-garde through the numerous reinterpretations of Serpenti, which combine gems and precious metals in a constant path of rebirth. Like the mythological Ouroboros, symbol of alchemical traditions, a snake biting its own tail forming a circle without beginning or end, the creations of the Bvlgari Serpenti collection wrap around the arm, wrist, neck or waist becoming one with the wearer. A magic of refined elegance made possible thanks to the most refined goldsmith techniques of Bvlgari.
A union that we also wanted to celebrate on the pages of Harper’s Bazaar with the imaginative material landscapes that have served as the backdrop to some of Bvlgari’s most iconic creations. The inspiration comes from the new Serpenti Infinito concept , with which the Roman Maison once again reinterprets the power of the serpent sign. To the computer-based landscapes of the campaign, we wanted to respond with what we have renamed “Artisan Intelligence”. Not software, apps, prompts, computers or alphanumeric codes, but water, earth and fire. A contrast between technology and matter that comes to life in the large multicolored slab used as a backdrop for our shots. A true “artisan marble” – created by the artist Elena Pelosi at the Fornace Curti in Milan, one of the oldest furnaces in the world, whose walls have witnessed collaborations of historical importance, from the Renaissance to Keith Hering – with mottled veining obtained thanks to the amalgamation of clays of different consistencies and colors. Malachite green, alabaster ochre, porphyry red and a delicate sand colour of desert roses have thus become the expression of a craftsmanship very similar to that of the goldsmith masters of Bvlgari.
In the laboratories illuminated by the light of the Eternal City, the Maison’s artisans shape the most precious metals and select one by one the most sought-after gems, gifts of the Earth, to give life to true works of art that feed on emotions, experimentation and creativity. Perfect as a gift, to be given as a gift or to treat yourself, the jewels, watches and accessories of the Bvlgari Serpenti line are inextricably linked to those who show them off, both on special occasions and in everyday life, accompanying the lives of present – and future – generations, just as they have done with those of the past.
The Serpenti collection has become the symbol of the Maison, combining gems and precious metals to tell a story of mastery, innovation and charm . Since the late 1940s, when the iconic design was first presented, the most influential (and fascinating) women in the world have worn at least once a Serpenti jewel: a symbol of unstoppable metamorphosis and eternal rebirth, always on the side of women who have embraced its power to make it their own. In 2023, this legendary emblem celebrated 75 years of endless transformation, writing a new chapter in its history.
Flexibility, tactile pleasure and geometric rhythm , the hallmarks of a collection that, since the first Serpenti Tubogas jewelry watches , has continuously welcomed new iterations, revealing its transformative nature and the eternal allure of the serpent sign with each new appearance. Throughout its infinite journey, Serpenti is an expression of mastery, magnetism and metamorphosis, not only resisting time, but mastering it through the art of transformation. Today, it is the unmistakable icon of Bvlgari, having triumphed over time and conquered its place in the firmament of jewelry, revealing within it the unlimited potential to be reborn once again as a work of art.
Modern and timeless, Serpenti sheds its skin and unleashes its eternal magnificence. And its natural multiformity. The Serpenti Viper, Pallini, Tubogas, Tubolari and Dragoni lines are reinterpretations of the Maison’s symbol and represent the continuation of a rich historical tradition, in the name of art and (timeless) design. In all its facets, Serpenti develops in the infinite cycle of the Ouroboros – the mythical serpent – and in the tension towards the new that transcends the concepts of trend and style.
Serpenti creations can be worn alone or layered, in a dialogue between the collection’s jewels, watches and bags. The triangular head of the serpent characterizes each creation in a unique and unmistakable way, enhancing the personality of the wearer, who ends up acquiring the same magnetic charm as Serpenti. The yellow, pink and white gold is shaped by Bvlgari’s artisans so that the jewel rests on the skin, becoming one with the wearer and giving the creations flexibility and modularity. In the most vibrant variations of the collection, gems, diamonds, enamels and ancient decoration techniques blend in infinite color combinations.
This is how Serpenti creations acquire their sinuous and charismatic elegance, which is manifested before our eyes through the scales of the snake: fluid and multiform, they follow our movements, adapt to our every gesture, in an ever-living union between art, innovation and high jewellery.
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