Dragonflies have a symbolic significance of mystery and rising clouds. When It was young, lived in water, adults hovered in the sky and earth, and my graceful figure, like a fairy, inspired endless romantic thoughts of artists from ancient and modern times, both at home and abroad. Whether it’s the ancient Egyptian dragonfly shaped Feyonce talisman collected in the Metropolitan Museum, or the magical dragonfly jewelry by French art nouveau master Rene Lalique, all show the inspiration that small dragonflies bring to artists’ imaginative ideas.
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, accompanied by Byron’s poetry and Turner’s paintings, romanticism surged forward, and romanticism advocated for the love of nature, which was fully reflected in jewelry: jewelry with insect and floral themes such as dragonflies, butterflies, and bees became more and more popular.
Dragonflies, butterflies, and bees became the most favored insects in Victorian jewelry from 1837 to 1901. In order to make dragonfly jewelry look more realistic, craftsmen at that time also used a technique called “Entremblant”, which was to install small springs under the wings of dragonflies. When worn, diamond jewelry would vibrate gently with the wings, making the diamonds appear more sparkling.
In the 1880s, romanticism gradually declined, and under the love of aestheticians represented by Oscar Wilde for Japanese art, dragonflies became an insect that reflected the mystery of the East, often appearing on Japanese porcelain and ukiyo-e paintings. What’s even more interesting is that these seemingly delicate insects frequently appear on the swords of samurai swords.
There is a saying that dragonflies are called “victorious insects” in Japan, symbolizing victory. This may be because dragonflies have a success rate of over 90% in predation, and their agile and efficient skills can definitely be considered as famous aerial killers.
Right: The Walters Art Museum
Under the influence of aestheticism, the theme of Hefeng also became a sought after object for jewelry artists. At that time, European craftsmen liked to carve flowers and birds on bracelets, imitating Japanese flower and bird paintings, and dragonflies were also the main characters.
Ten years later, a new artistic style was born under the influence of aestheticism, which is called the New Art Style. At that time, jewelry had already gone through more than half a century of luxurious and dignified Victorian style control. At this time, artists were obviously suppressed by this traditional, conservative, and elegant style for too long, and urgently needed to embrace nature and promote a sensory and romantic art.
The main characteristic of the Art Nouveau style is “imitating nature”, but unlike previous realistic jewelry, this group of artists also integrated their artistic ideals and imagination into jewelry. If the past jewelry was realistic, then there is no doubt that the jewelry at this time is “freehand”.
The grand new art style of the late 19th century loved to combine the flora and fauna of nature with the female body, creating many creatures that only appeared in fantasy worlds. The delicate and beautiful figure of the dragonfly, its rapidly vibrating transparent wings, and elusive floating figure are like fairies in Greek mythology in the eyes of jewelry artists. Making the combination of dragonflies and human bodies more mythical, the most famous of which is Rene Lalique’s work “Dragonfly Woman”.
In fact, compared to the jewelry that combines dragonflies with human bodies, we may be more familiar with the images of ancient and supernatural fairies in fairy tales. They usually wear fairy like gauze skirts and have a pair of sparkling wings on their backs. In Shakespeare’s comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, there is a fairy named Titania who leads the fairy spirits. Although Shakespeare did not specifically depict her appearance, later artists coincidentally installed a pair of dragonfly wings for this fairy, as if these wings were the most suitable for this playful yet magical fairy.
Most jewelry inspired by dragonflies has always been purely realistic in its form, but in reality, more abstract designs are more suitable for our daily wear and can also be fashionable and versatile. This dragonfly brooch not only captures its characteristics, but also highly summarizes and abstracts various details of the dragonfly. In order to achieve a sense of elegance, the straight body of the dragonfly is curved, and the white gemstone adds a touch of liveliness. Rather than being abstract, the dragonfly is actually more like a little elf.
In addition to the light and beautiful appearance of dragonflies that people flock to, the hidden emotions and symbolic meanings behind them also make people yearn. For thousands of years, dragonflies have been praised by many, and people constantly feel beauty, freedom, and courage from this insect. The resonance with the most beautiful traits in the human heart may be the reason why dragonflies have been loved by artists and designers for thousands of years.
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