I think everyone has seen, at least once in their life, either on television or in magazines, or has had the privilege of seeing in person, Botticelli's masterpiece known as Venus . For those who are seeing it for the first time, you know the old painting with a naked girl with long red hair standing in a shell ? Yes, that one is the very famous Venus by Botticelli.
The Shell in Botticelli's Birth of Venus
This shell is not only a decorative detail, but has a deep symbolic meaning: The birth of the Goddess of water , according to mythology Venus ( Venus - Aphrodite ) was born from the sea foam and the shell symbolizes this miracle. The shell is also a symbol of fertility and rebirth , a central theme in Botticelli 's painting.
Philosophical Interpretation
The shell can also be seen as a symbol of protection, a refuge, a safe place from which Venus emerges to bring love and beauty into the world. In those times 1480 the philosophical current was Neoplatonism, according to which physical beauty was a reflection of divine beauty, a current that deeply influenced Botticelli. The shell in which Venus is, would seem to be a giant Scallop. Also known as the Shell of St. James, a delicious delicacy of the sea, with a sweet and delicate flesh, perfect for gourmet dishes. They are found in the Mediterranean and in the seas of Northern Europe.
Coming back to us, I have always admired shells, since I was a child. At the age of 10 I finally had my first shell bracelet and I was over the moon. Today I love all the materials provided naturally by the earth and the sea. A few years ago we had scallops as a delicacy at our family Christmas dinner. As a creative person, I kept the shells to give them a second life. Every small or large shell with its small or large perfect imperfections has a story to tell.
And so it is difficult to have such beauty in front of you and not do something creative. I also wanted to use those who have had a difficult life with all the bruises, a bit like the people who have had to suffer and go through great difficulties to be able to tell their story. So I decorated them with gold paint and applied paper motifs that recall a precious ceramic, thus becoming the Golden Shell collection.
Today you too can have one or more shells from the Golden Shell collection to keep on your desk as a storage container or to hang on the wall.
See also the video on our You Tube channel here
