It’s just days away from the Chinese Year of the Snake and around the world and people are celebrating the wisdom and transformation symbolized by the serpent.
In Hungary, jewellery designers have embraced its shape for thousands of years. Pablo Gutierrez reports from Budapest.
In Hungary, jewellery designers have embraced its shape for thousands of years. Pablo Gutierrez reports from Budapest.
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00:00Long before Kinga Horani began crafting jewelry from precious metals, the snake motif had a profound and recurring presence in her life.
00:11When I was a child, I always imagined that a huge snake hug me and protect me from the bad dreams.
00:22Horani has been designing jewelry in Budapest for 12 years, drawing inspiration from the snake's shape, mysticism and elegance.
00:31It wasn't accidental either that I used this shape of the snake because it symbolizes energy.
00:41That's why maybe I thought in my childhood that it protects me.
00:46Snake designs in jewelry have existed for thousands of years.
00:50Among the treasures at the Hungarian National Museum, a pair of golden serpents that once adorned a Hungarian noblewoman shine prominently.
00:59According to the curator, the owner buried the pieces near Budapest while fleeing during a time of unrest.
01:07She was a wealthy woman in the 5th century, most likely had ties with the political elite of the Hun Empire.
01:17The story doesn't end there. In 2010, a treasure hunter discovered the snake jewelry set and attempted to sell it on the black market.
01:26This triggered a police chase, adding yet another chapter to the mystical tale of these serpents.
01:33They were trying to apprehend him and he started to run along the Danube River near the Sabacág Bridge and he threw that piece into the Danube.
01:44It took police divers three months to recover the jewels, which are now part of an exhibition exploring the profound role jewelry has played in human history.
01:55According to the curator, jewelry holds more than material value. It conveys spiritual significance and personal meaning.
02:05Snake designs often convey transformation, wisdom and growth.
02:11Horányi plans to expand her collection with more snake-inspired designs drawn to the motif's powerful symbolism.
02:19In the Chinese culture, the snake has very positive qualities. It's a symbol of wisdom or healing or immortality.
02:31Snake motifs are set to make a comeback this year embodying transformation a concept fashion knows well.
02:39Pablo Gutiérrez, CGTN, Budapest.