ANCIENT BEADS
Broken Beauties
– A tribute to the perfection of imperfection
The work as a goldsmith is intimately associated with the desire for precision and the ambition of perfection. If the diamond is not set correctly, or the gold not soldered exactly on the millimetre, the design falls apart – as will the piece of jewellery sooner rather than later.
However, the precision-work of Bodil Binner’s workshop does not obscure the fact that beauty is also found in imperfections. The admiration and respect for achievements of the past is boundless, and just like our everyday lives, beauty come in many shapes and forms: From classic unique jewellery to the inspiration of art deco and remnants of the distant past, which is right now making a comeback among collectors in the form of “Ancient Beads”.
Read more about ANCIENT BEADS and the collaboration with Gunnar Muhlman
Ancient Beads are amongst the world’s oldest crafts – even pre-dating cave paintings. But just like cave paintings, Ancient Beads carry the testimony of human DNA and the collective human psyche, which links past with present. Ancient Beads are found in a multitude of different shapes and materials, and they are fascinating, because they carry ancient wisdom and great strength with them, which are still relevant for us today. As a trendy talisman, charged with good karma that helps us in the face of challenges and when we have to make important choices, they assist us by assuring us that we will make it out of certain situations as whole human beings.
Thanks to Gunnar Muhlman, one of the leading experts in Ancient Beads, goldsmith Bodil Binner has had the privilege to learn more about and work with antique jewellery beads, forging a place for them in her own universe. The result is “Broken Beauties” – an ancient bead of indescribable beauty. It has been repaired with gold, thus elevating the beauty in the “perfect imperfection” to new heights, in a remembrance of yin and yang, according to which side the bead is viewed from. The bead fuses ancient wisdom and crafts with the modern information society’s knowledge of psychology, history, aesthetics and human archetypes – the result is completely unique, of which Bodil Binner is rightfully proud.
Learn more on ancientbead.com/jewels-with-beads – and discover a new perspective on the art of jewellery and the ”power tools” that jewellery actually is and has always been.
SASSANIAN SEAL
Read more about Sassanian Seal
SASANIAN SEAL (224-651) with warrior head – carneol, the red version of the mineral chalcedony.
In the Sasanian Empire, only free men were entitled to bear a seal – and this one probably belonged to a warrior more than 1.500 years ago. The Sasanian Empire encompassed Iran, Iraq, Armenia, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Bahrain, Yemen, Oman, India, Kazakhstan, the United Arabian Emirates, Saudi-Arabia, Pakistan, parts of Russia, Egypt and Kirgizstan during the 3rd to the 7th centuries AD, but finally it fell to the Muslims. The Sasanian time remains as one of the historically most important epochs in Iran, with far-reaching influence. Its aristocratic culture was unique, forming the basis for Muslim architecture, poetry and other artistic endeavors.
