2005 SHAMAN
LIMITED EDITION
TAKING THE THEME OF "DECORATIVE ARTS IN THE WORLD", S.T.DUPONT EXPLORES THE DIVERSITY OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION ACROSS ALL CULTURES. THE JOURNEY CONTINUES WITH THE LIMITED EDITION "SHAMAN", WHICH PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE ART OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS, WHOSE SIMPLE, GEOMETRIC VISION EVOKES THE HARMONY OF THE WORLD.
SHAMAN, “HE WHO KNOWS”. THEOLOGIAN, MEDICINE MAN, SCHOLAR, OR POET, THE SHAMAN IS THE GUARDIAN OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN SOUL. AN EXTRAORDINARY INDIVIDUAL, WHOSE TRANCES AND VISIONS ALLOW HIM TO TAKE PART IN THE MYSTERIES OF THE UNSEEN. HIS VISION OF THE WORLD ENCOMPASSES SEVERAL REALITIES. HE LIVES ALONGSIDE SPIRITS AND GODS, COMBATING DEMONS, AND RETURNING FORM HIS VOYAGES WITH GUIDANCE, CURES, AND MAGIC POWERS. THE SHAMAN’ RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SACRED ENABLES HIM TO PRESERVE THE BALANCE OF NATURAL ELEMENTS.
THE LIMITED EDITION "SHAMAN" REFLECTS S.T.DUPONT'S UNIQUE PASSION AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE GOLDSMITH'S CRAFT, AND DEMONSTRATES ITS PERFECT MASTERY OF THE ART OF LACQUER WORK. THE INTENSE, IRIDESCENT WHITE LACQUER USED IN THIS COLLECTION IS SET OFF BEAUTIFULLY BY THE NATURAL MOTHER-OF-PEARL INLAY.
A
SYMBOLIC NAME
Among
native North American tribes, the word shaman means "he who
knows". The shaman communicates with the invisible, is in contact with
gods and spirits, and fights demons. He uses his magical powers to preserve
the balance of natural elements, and guides and advises people.
DECORATION
FULL OF MEANING
•
The triangle is often associated with equilibrium, with the relationship
between the human and divine worlds. It is frequently used by North American
Indians on their clothing, finery and jewellery. S.T.Dupont interprets it
with a frieze of double isosceles triangles which embellishes all objects in
this limited edition collection.
•
The circle symbolises perfection. For North American Indians, it also stands
for the moon, which regulates life cycles.
•
The spiral that surrounds it represents the eternal beginning of time, of
which the shaman is the guardian.
TECHNIQUE
TO ENHANCE THE BEAUTY OF THE DESIGN
•
On each object, the proportions of the double triangles have been carefully
determined so that the frieze always contains a whole number of motifs. The
delicate, regular guilloche work requires extreme dexterity on the part of
our specialist craftsmen.
•
The lacquer used by the goldsmiths has been specially developed by S.T.
Dupont. To obtain such an intense, iridescent sparkle, the lacquer is
applied in three stages: the first base layer of colour, another layer
containing special pigments, and a final transparent layer to create a
beautiful, protective sheen.
•
The natural mother-of-pearl is inlaid by hand. This precious material is
produced by certain shellfish in
Japan
and the southern oceans.
•
Objects in the "Shaman" collection are finished in palladium, a
rare metal that gives a contemporary sparkle.
THE
MYSTERY OF NUMBERS
The
limited edition "Shaman" collection is one of the most extensive
ever created by S.T. Dupont. Also available in two cuff-link models and a
tiepin, the collection includes:
•
Lighters, numbered starting with the figure 2929 : Ligne 2 - Gatsby - Ligne
1 (small and large models) - Ligne D.
•
Pens, numbered starting with the figure 1929 : the Olympio ballpoint, roller
ball, and the fountain pen (medium and large) - the D.Link ballpoint, roller
ball and fountain pen. These numbers refer to the 29 days of the lunar
cycle, which native Americans use to measure time.
The lighters are each numbered
out of 2929 and the pens out of 1929, a reference to the 29-day lunar cycle
by which Native American live.