Minerva, Goddess of Wisdom
18ct yellow gold (46.40g), handmade to order in Geneva (edition of 25)
Symbols: Owl, Snake, Flute, Olive Branch
Minerva was a Roman goddess, later overlaid with the Greek Athena, daughter of Zeus. Her shrine in Aventine in Rome was a haven for craftsmen, poets and actors; Athena was also believed to have re-embodied Metis, the Greek goddess of counsel whom Zeus consumed in the time before Athena was created from his body. She became known in the Greek tradition as the city protectress, goddess of war, handicraft, and, courtesy of Metis, wisdom.
In the myth, Athena had an owl sit on her blind side, so she could witness the whole truth. Owls are connected with the wisdom of the soul, magic, mystery and ancient knowledge; nocturnal creatures, they are connected to the feminine, hence Minerva’s position as a symbol of female intellect.
Astrologically, Minerva / Athena is connected to a number of signs, but most commonly Aries and Gemini. Aries in particular is associated with traits like leadership, strategy and courage, all traits intrinsic to Athena, and with the fire of the mind, raw creativity and thought, as well as the rising of the dawn, Aries being the start of the Zodiac.
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.