Up until this evening I really wasn't having a good jewellery day. My favourite necklace broke into many pieces and scattered all over the road as I ran to catch the bus this afternoon. Hurrumph. However, when I got home I was pleased to see my Keerstin Wintrup snake necklace arrived, and there was a belt in there too! Hurrah!
Keestin is a designer from LA and her work is based on the styles of ancient Greece and Native American. I have had a love affair with Native American jewellery for a great many years.
This necklace and belt also remind me of a necklace the Queen Mum bought me when I was a 13 - it was one of those 80's snake necklaces. You know, the ones that were tubular chain and painted black (mines was black) with a gold snake head and tail? I completely loved it. I wore it so much the enamel paint wore off. Admittedly Keerstin's version is much more refined.
It seems that her website isn't up and running yet but you can buy yourself some serpentine action at Bona Drag.
Queen Michelle
It's very serendipitous that your snakes arrived just in time.
Slippery and lovely!
Posted by: enc | Thursday, 28 August 2008 at 20:14
Ahh, what a gorgeous piece!! I just love snakes, anything to do with them.
Just beautiful
Posted by: Nice_and_shiny | Thursday, 28 August 2008 at 22:12
that is hot! bleuclothing.com should have them!
Posted by: jenny | Thursday, 28 August 2008 at 22:27
That is so cool! OK, this is probably going to sound super stupid, but Scottish teens as far as you know) say "cool", right?
Posted by: KD | Thursday, 28 August 2008 at 23:00
Those are wonderful! The only snake jewellery I ever had was a plastic cobra ring out of a gumball machine - I kind of wish I still had that, it had fangs.
Posted by: Skye | Thursday, 28 August 2008 at 23:36
omg theyre beautiful, i want one!
Posted by: Mike | Friday, 29 August 2008 at 04:33
Those are very nice! I'm pretty jealous, actually. I can imagine how they would spice up any outfit.
Posted by: Clara | Friday, 29 August 2008 at 07:57
I'm definitely a fan of snakes on jewelry.
Posted by: WendyB | Friday, 29 August 2008 at 13:26
did you get the long braided belt, michelle? that's an incredible piece!
Posted by: stella-mayfair | Friday, 29 August 2008 at 15:13
Loving the necklace but I have to say the belt scares me a bit...it looks a little too real!
Posted by: Primrose | Friday, 29 August 2008 at 17:02
Actually maybe its the necklace that's the scary one- on a second look I can't tell which is the necklace and which is the belt. I like the one with the gold head.
Posted by: Primrose | Friday, 29 August 2008 at 17:04
That's cool, she sent me her bracelet as well!
Posted by: gnarlitude jen | Saturday, 30 August 2008 at 00:31
*Le sigh*
I wouldn't say inspired by Native American design so much as copied wholesale from old Whiting & Davis jewellry from the 60's when the whole Cleopatra thing was huge.
Ad from '63: illusionjewels.com/inv/whiting&davis63.jpg
Current listing for one of the belts:
poshvintage.com/prod_one.cfm?id=5516
OTOH, the braided leather is a little Native American. I too have had a long love affair with the jewellry - my grandparents lived only a short drive through the Navajo reservation and I bought myself a trinket at the markets on every trip.
Posted by: CaliLass | Saturday, 30 August 2008 at 21:31
Bona Drag is my ultimate guilty pleasure, and I have spied this serpent with lust for a while and so far managed to abstain! however, your mention of it brings it to the forefront of my mind all over again! ha ha.
Posted by: Rosie | Monday, 01 September 2008 at 11:15