Tag Archives: history

Spiders, as a general rule, are not well-loved by humans. Arachnophobia is one of the most common fears that people deal with. I would bet many of you have experienced the sudden anxiety of seeing a spider in your bedroom and losing it two seconds later. So the question remains – why are we so obsessed with them? Spiders appear all throughout history in iconographic culture. We also see spider jewellery reoccurring all around the world and at different points in time. In this blog we take a look at the history of spider jewellery, and how different cultures have interpreted our 8-legged foes. Ancient Spider Jewellery When looking at the ancient world, spiders pop up everywhere. For example, in ancient China, they were called “ximu” which roughly translates to “happy insects”. They were believed to be good luck, and even in contemporary culture, they’re associated with happiness and wealth. In The Metamorphoses, the Roman poet Ovid recounts the story of Arachne – the woman who challenged the goddess Athena to a weaving competition. The story goes that in a fit of rage, Athena turned Arachne into the first spider. Perhaps one of the cultures most taken with the image of the spider is the Moche culture. The Moche civilisation inhabited large parts of northern Peru between 100 and 700 AD. The Met Museum in New York now houses a large collection of Moche artefacts, including many pieces of spider inspired jewellery. Their collection is vast with items such as necklace beads with anthropomorphised spiders, earrings designed as webs with a large spider seated at the centre, and geometric jewellery worn in the nose. Spider iconography is quite common in this part of the world. Other ancient cultures such as the Salinar culture, which predated the Moche civilisation, also produced jewellery featuring spiders which is held at the Met. Spider iconography in ancient Peru appears in other areas of life aside from jewellery. We see spiders decorating plates, pots, and walls. This is most likely due to a shared spider deity which frequently appears in art from this area. Into The Modern Day It is not just the ancient world that has been taken with the imagery of the humble spider. They crop up all throughout history and all around the world. The Akan people in Ghana used spiders in some of their ceremonial objects, such as this staff from the late 19th century. In Victorian England, insect jewellery was increasing popular. Jewellery modelled after butterflies, beetles, dragonflies, as well as spiders was very common. Many Victorian women took this a step further, and it is reported that they would sometimes wear live insects, often with diamonds stuck to them, on strings attached to brooches so that they would wander across their clothes. A recent example of spider jewellery in modern times is of course, Lady Hale’s brooch. Lady Hale’s spider brooch, which she wore while delivering the verdict that the prorogation of parliament was unlawful in 2019, sparked conversations all over the country. It was quite quickly adopted by feminists and was interpreted as a symbol of defiance. Hale boasts an impressive collection of brooches, many of which are insect-themed. But this particular spider really made waves. It has been replicated by many companies, and printed on t-shirts, the profits of which went to the homeless charity Shelter. Hale even went on to reference this iconic moment in the title of her most recent autobiography: Spider Woman. Although Hale has stated that she intended no deeper meaning with the brooch, its public reception is demonstrative of the power of symbols such as the spider. Spider Jewellery at Auction If you’re interested in owning your own eight-legged friend (or foe), we have several lots in our upcoming jewellery auction, which happens to fall on Halloween! We often have interesting items such as these through our doors, so it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on our auctions as you never know what might creep it’s way in! In fact, not too long ago we had an arachnid-themed watch. Be warned: it is not for the faint of heart. Lot 228 Split pearl & jade spider bar brooch Price Realised: £78.00 Lot 1050 Early 20th century 9ct gold garnet spider pendant Price Realised: £227.50 Valuations Our valuations are free, with no obligation to sell with us. Our experts will value your item with an estimate, so you can find out what it could achieve at auction. The process is simple. You can fill in a form online or book an appointment to visit either of our offices in Birmingham or London. Virtual valuation appointments are also available. Find what you’re looking for Make sure you don’t miss finding that special something by signing up to our email alerts. You’ll be the first to know when catalogues become available, receive invitations to special events and preview the hottest lots from our auctions, plus much more. Why not use our free personal shopping service? Sign up for lot alerts and tell us exactly what you are looking for. Each time we upload a catalogue, we search for your keywords and email you lots matching your interests. Your personalised email will include images, lot descriptions and auction details. Cordelia Porter | Research Coordinator