A Shared Aesthetic

Minoan Bee Pendant, 1700-1500 BC, Gold
Alex Monroe Bee Pendant, 2001-2009, Gold

Craftsmanship, beauty and luxury; some of the words I most associate with the real essence of fashion. On a recent trip to Crete's Archaeological Museum the jewellery of the Neolithic and Minoan periods, 5700-1100 BC caught my attention. For, as far as we have come, these pieces of Minoan jewellery in front of me could have been entirely modern. This ancient display of fashion raises interesting questions into an ingrained value of aestheticism which we share as humans.

Neolithic pieces from 5700-2800 BC show abstract stone and clay pendants and charms. Late Minoan pieces, 1400-1200BC, show gold flowers, carved ivory, bangles, pins and rings, and vivid gemstone necklaces. Typical Minoan jewellery consisted of thin coils and chains of linked and plaited gold wire, and gold foil fashioned into petals and rosettes. Stamping and engraving were also common techniques used in the manufacture of Minoan jewellery, as was gold granulation and filigree. For me, the most remarkable pieces I have seen is the Minoan Bee Pendant, picture below. Taking this one example, jump thousands of years to the 21st Century, and Alex Monroe, leading designer of gold and silver jewellery, holds his famous Bumble Bee pendant at the centre of his collections, picture below. His collections too feature filigree pendants and charm bracelets. He too draws of the nature around him to produce jewellery inspired by flowers, leaves, birds and butterflies.

It is quite remarkable that our modern society still turns to the same inspiration, and still uses similar metal work techniques as our Minoan 'ancestors'. Could this be taken to suggest we have an ancient aesthetic ingrained in our modern society? The continuation of a shared aesthetic over so many thousands of years must teach us something about the history of fashion. Interestingly, and please do shout out if I'm wrong, I have never seen an article or fashion story looking at the art of the Minoans featured in any glossy. How can we in the fashion industry rule out such a section of our history, and what have we missed by doing so?