The mythical creatures, animals of folklore, and romanticized, extinct creatures immortalized by jewelry designer Temple St. Clair have been bound together in “The Golden Menagerie,” a book of 100-plus illustrations to be published on Dec. 5.
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The book gives the the reader an exclusive view into the artistry and process of creating gold and gemstone haute couture jewelry, with luminous photography that brings each jeweled creature to life.
“The Golden Menagerie” shows St. Clair’s three haute couture collections in three different chapters, complete with her writings on the subjects and watercolor works.
“Mythical Creatures,” the first chapter, views subjects through a fairy tale lens, with pieces like The Phoenix Chicks, The Sea Dragon, and The Frog Prince.
Chapter two, “Wings of Desire,” looks at history and folklore, with three sculptural rings showing the life cycles of birds of prey; a series of five rings depicting mythological and mythologized winged creatures like the hippocamp, swan, and Pegasus; and a series of earrings titled “Fantasy Birds.”
