Ceres, Goddess of Abundance
18ct yellow gold (58g), handmade to order in Geneva (edition of 25)
Symbols: Corn, Dragon, Artichoke, Burning Torch, Wreath (Apollo), Oak, Snake
The legend of Ceres, or Demeter in the Greek, is often seen as principally the story of her daughter Persephone, who is captured by Hades, the god of the underworld. Ceres goes in search of Persephone, abandoning her role as the goddess of the harvest, her distress at her daughter’s disappearance causing a famine. Alternative names such as Ioulo (from ioulos or“grain sheaf”) identify Ceres with wheat and harvest, connecting Demeter to the Old European worship of the grain mother.
The influence of Demeter, however, was not limited to grain but extended to vegetation generally and to all of the earth’s bounty. This greater understanding of Demeter as a goddess of the earth’s abundance connects her to Gaea (Mother Earth), with whom she had several other manifestations in common (such as the Great Mother of the Gods, Cybele and Rhea).
In astrology, Virgo is frequently depicted as a woman carrying grain, directly connecting the sign with Ceres. The aspects of nourishment and duty that are characteristics of the Virgo appear to draw directly from the Demeter legend. At the same time, Ceres is considered a solar goddess, an abundant harvest requiring sun as well as rain, and in the Anatolian tradition Cybele always appears with lions which has aligned her with Leo. It is also said that if you're a Cancer, Ceres can represent the sign’s strong maternal instincts, drawing on the aspects of the legend which speak to making epic sacrifices in order to achieve what you desire.
The Goddess collection is inspired by the character and mythology of powerful Roman and Grecian legends, and the overlap into other forms of cultural and philosophical representation. Alice was inspired by the way that symbols in fine art would have been instantly recognisable for the narratives they represented, in a way that only experts schooled in art history would likely now recognise. Symbolism is such a powerful force in contemporary jewellery, and as an artist with strong female clients and collaborators, Alice wanted to explore characteristics that would be meaningful and enduring.
After a decade of working in meenakari enamel, an engraved process, Alice collaborated on this collection with Colombian goldsmith Juan Sebastian Galan Bello to create stories in repousse 18 carat yellow gold - from working inwards to working outwards. Juan realised in gold a series of illustrations created with Charlotte Gastaut, a Parisian illustrator working with brands such as Diptique and Hermes, and on the creation of her own fairytale narratives rendered in print and on silk.