It would appear that Narcissus has been whispering in my ear lately as my latest design comes hot off the heels of my previous design – the ‘Kraak’ Convex Mirror. This mirror however is made entirely out of white beads and wire and is based on a Robert Adam Neo-Classical design from the late 18th Century. The design itself was interpreted by a wonderful Zimbabwean ‘beadsmith’ who had never worked on anything quite as epic as this before. The design took many weeks to hone and perfect, but he was quick to take on the challenge and it wasn’t long until Acanthus leaf, Guilloche and S-scrolls became part of his bead vocabulary.
Perhaps a little more Louis XV than Adam, the ‘Madame-style’ mirror is my initial attempt at trying to push bead-work into a whole new realm. I feel that constant intersection-exposure to bead-work has left us all with ‘bead-fatigue’ and interest in this wonderful local craft has waned. I hope that this ‘bead-fatigue’ can we transformed into something glorious and exciting by looking at Euro-centric Decorative Arts through a local lens. Watch this space…
The ‘Madame-Style’ Mirror was recently chosen to be part of the 2012 CCDI Hand-Made Collection. A Wonderful Honour for all involved.
The 'Madame-Style' Beaded Mirror
Spectacular, Michael, a tour de force
That’s insanely, stunningly beautiful.
Michael, I’m blow away once again. What delightfully creative use of local talent.
Michael, where would I buy one of these in Cape Town? Do you have shop?