Juno, Goddess of Goddesses
18ct yellow gold (45.50g), handmade to order in Geneva (edition of 25)
Symbols: Peacock, Pomegranate, Air (Clouds), Butterflies, Hummingbird
Juno, in Roman mythology, is Goddess of all goddesses, and the female counterpart of Jupiter. In the Greek, she is Hera, consort of Zeus. Along with Jupiter and Minerva, Juno was one of the Capitoline triad of deities introduced by the Etruscan kings. Juno represents the female principle of life, most particularly marriage.
Usually depicted surrounded by animals both domestic (cows) and regal (peacocks), Juno always holds a pomegranate, the symbol of immortality. As with Ceres, Juno is considered a manifestation of the Great Goddess, or the figure represented in the united goddess religion of Old European cultures. In the Hindu tradition, peacock feathers form the crest of Lord Krishna, one of the Hindu trimurti, or trinity of supreme divinity; when their feathers are fully opened, it was also believed the peacock was the earthly manifestation of Om, the sonic representation of the absolute and the beginning and end of all things. The peacock connects Juno most directly with the astrological sign of Sagittarius.
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.