ZERZURA SOPHIA NEUMANN TAUL
For my parents
Zerzura
by Sophia Neumann Taul Alchimia Contemporary Jewellery School BFA in contemporary jewellery and jewellery design July 2017, Firenze
explorer
Fr.,—L. explorāre, -ātum, to search out—prob. from ex, out, plorāre, to make to flow. explorer One who or that which explores: oftenest applied to a geographical worker. Specifically— One who makes geographical discoveries by traveling in unknown or imperfectly known regions. Origin of explorer First recorded in 1675-85
“When you set out on your journey to Ithaca, pray that the road is long, full of adventure, full of knowledge.” C. P. Cavafy, 1911
Brave men and women set out to the unknown, leaving the safety and comfort of home. Driven to explore the limits of the world known to them, and beyond. They changed our perception of the world through their courageousness. Today the depths of the ocean and reaching for the stars are whats being explored. And we still leave the safety of home, hungry for new information. That is what inspires me deeply, this curiosity and hunger. I created 100 amulets inspired by different journeys and in the process they grew with me - for adventurous souls of today, all with their own meaning of protection. Each with their own purpose, serving as a reminder, when away from home.
Why does an explorer need an amulet? An amulet has a magical power which is to protect in most cases against danger and harm, but it can also serve as a reminder for the wearer. It can have several meanings depending on the purpose and also personal affection if it was given by someone special. So an explorer needs an amulet to always feel protected, be reminded to be courageous - feel just a little closer to home, or as a reminder of the decision to leave.
In the process of reading and studying the explorers, I created an idea of them and exploring in general, my own anticipation of an explorer. Everything developed and turned into something more personal though. How I have felt on my own trips to the unknown, going away from the safe harbor of home and thinking about what I actually missed from home and the things that kept me going and not returning. I tried to channel that into the pieces with much affection and a story behind each one of them.
“Night had fallen, and the stars were twinkling in the dark tropical sky, the phosphorescence flashed around us in rivalry with the stars, and single glowing plankton resembled round live coals so vividly that we involuntarily drew in our bare legs when the glowing pellets were washed up round our feet at the raft’s stern. When we caught them we saw that they were little brightly shining species of shrimp. On such nights we were sometimes scared when two round shining eyes suddenly rose out of the sea right alongside the raft and glared at us with an unblinking hypnotic stare - it might have been the Old Man of the Sea himself.” - The Kon Tiki Expedition, Thor Heyerdahl 1948
“Travels among the ruins of desert kingdoms and the crocks and querns of prehistoric tribes; beyond them among creeping dunes, petrified forests and sand seas, beyond the last bone of man or mouse.� R. A. Bagnold, Libyan Sands, 1935
The little ball As seen on all of the amulets except the three dimensional ones, there is a little round ball. This is something that comes as part of casting wax into metal - it’s where the piece is connected to the mold, the connection is the sprue (a molten material). And this is what connects them together visually, this shows that they come from the same place, since they are all different the sprue is the red line that goes through them all.
Zerzura is a mythical oasis that was rumored for a long time to have existed deep in the desert west of the Nile in Egypt or Libya. In writings dating back to the 13th century, the authors spoke of a city which was "white as a dove" and called it "The Oasis of Little Birds�. In the Kitab al Kanuz (an medieval Arabic manuscript first appeared in the 15th century, supposedly a treasure hunters guide with a collection of mystic fables), Zerzura is said to be a city in the Sahara full of treasure with a sleeping king and queen. The city is guarded by black giants who keep anyone from going in and coming out. I chose this title because I believe it falls into many’s curiosity, desire and the belief that there is something out there not known to us, something seemingly unrealistic even, that plays with our minds and pulls our urge to explore.
Acknowledgements I would like to thank my teachers Doris Maninger and Lucia Massei, for shaping me and helping me to first create an idea for design and then help me shape it into becoming something of my own. My parents for helping me through these two years giving an unique opportunity that has made me grow in every way. Always believing in me. Thanks to Giovanni Melozzi for realizing all my work in this project from wax into metal. To the photographer, my love and the one who helped me put it all together Aldo Pavia. The people close to me, around me here in Firenze but also from home. Being patient and supportive. Keeping contact when my mind was too busy not to. And at last, for the brave explorers who went out in search, not knowing what to find. They continue to inspire still today in the search of new knowledge and the curiosity continues
Sophia Neumann Taul 18.02.1994 Copenhagen, Denmark Curriculum vitae - Alchimia: Contemporary Jewellery School in Firenze BFA 2015-2017 - Joya Art Jewellery Fair, Alchimia stand in Barcelona 2016