Two Heads are Better than One

Born to a long line of goldsmiths, Ilias Lalaounis (b.1920) has a keen interest in the history of jewelry, regional techniques and cultural motifs. Early Lalaounis pieces mined ancient Greek traditions for inspiration and drew from a personal connection to his cultural heritage. Lalaounis later expanded his design repertoire to include goldsmithing techniques from a wide range of cultures. It is not unusual for a single Lalaounis piece to exhibit hammered finishing, granulation, wire filigree and hand-woven gold wire. Lalaounis has received many prizes for his art, the most important being that of the French Academy of Fine Arts in 1990. He is the only jeweler ever to be elected a member.

Here we see a vintage Lalaounis piece designed as two sculpted 18k gold serpent head terminals accented with ruby eyes, diamonds and emerald tongues. This fascinating depiction transitions into a hand-woven, long lariat style necklace that takes on an alluring whimsy in its serpentine design. When worn, the serpents drape organically around the neck and plunge downwards as though actually gliding across the wearer’s torso. The intricately woven gold allows for a rich heft to be felt in the piece yet a balanced, free-flowing movement when worn.

As we’ve seen from previous posts, the serpent theme is a popular one in jewelry and one laden with symbolism. Whatever symbolic connection one might encounter, there seems to be an overarching curiosity towards snakes that continually draws great designers, like Lalaounis, to incorporate their languid, curving lines and primal expressions into creative works. Print this post