To celebrate the upcoming Year of the Snake, Loewe has created a collection that pays homage to the ancient craft of Chinese cloisonné.
By partnering with master Xiong Songtao, a Chinese Arts and Crafts Master and the youngest of six living masters of Chinese cloisonné, Loewe designed a set of necklaces with cloisonné pendants featuring the auspicious snake, monkey and cloud motifs.
Loewe’s cloisonné necklace.
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The cloisonné technique, which began in the Yuan Dynasty more than 600 years ago, uses the finest bent wires to create designs on a metal base that are filled with color enamel, fired, polished and gilded.
As a third-generation enameler whose grandfather studied the craft in the royal court of the Qing Dynasty, Xiong is in charge of the family studio and is known for his elaborate pieces, including jewelry, watch dials, traditional vessels and sculptures.
Xiong Songtao in the studio.
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“Unlike traditional depictions of the snake, these are relatively cute and lovely,” said Xiong in a behind-the-scenes documentary.
“Yearning to fly, yearning to be free, yearning to reach new heights, these are all auspicious implications from the clouds,” Xiong added.
Cloisonné motifs created by Xiong also inspired the brand’s Chinese New Year capsule that includes ready-to-wear, shoes, accessories and a series of special edition bags.
Memorable pieces include a clutch in the shape of an auspicious cloud and a coiled snake, as well as Puzzle bags and Pebble Bucket bags animated with snake and cloud motifs.
A cloud clutch from Loewe’s Chinese New Year collection.
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Loewe accompanied the collection release with a short film titled “Spring Awakening: Dance of the Snake.” Starring Chinese dancer Xie Xin alongside her dance troupe, the film illustrates a lonely snake’s journey through the four seasons and how it finds its way to a hopeful start. By incorporating traditional kite-making and shadow puppetry into the film, Loewe continued to celebrate the richness of Chinese craftsmanship.
A still from the short film.
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Loewe’s Year of the Snake collection will first launch in mainland China on Saturday, followed by a global launch on Jan. 9. The limited-edition cloisonné necklaces will be priced at 53,500 renminbi, or $7,330, each.
