Bulgari

Serpenti

The serpent is one of the oldest and most polyvalent symbols that can be found in all civilizations across time and place. The enigmatic reptile's symbolism ranges from menace to healing, rebirth and immortality, depending on context and interpretation. Europe's earliest civilization, the Minoan palace culture on Crete, worshipped a sensuous snake goddess for instance. In ancient Greece, Asclepius, the god of medicine, was represented by a serpent coiling around a staff, whereas in the Book of Genesis the snake took the form of the original sin that lead to humanity's expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

Serpents were a frequent motif on jewellery during Greek and Roman Antiquity. In the Victorian era, snakes knew an important revival, as illustrated by lot 552. Bulgari first developed its iconic Serpenti bracelet-watch in 1947. The design came into its own in the early 1960s when Elizabeth Taylor was photographed wearing her personal gold and diamond Serpenti bracelet on the set of the historical epic 'Cleopatra', which was shot at the fabled Cinecittà studios in Rome.

In the 1960s, Bulgari produced Serpentis composed of gleaming gold scales with diamond encrusted heads or decorated throughout with bold polychrome enamel combinations. From the early 2000s onwards, Bulgari started producing versions of the Serpenti that retain its statement quality, while at the same time being more slick and contemporary in tone to better suit an active, modern lifestyle.