Inspiring editorial from MIX Magazine

 

You’d think nobody would want to embrace a snake motif and its unavoidable association with original sin. But in spite, or maybe because of, their dark side, the allure of all things serpentine persists.

 

New York Public Library

 

We are conditioned to think that snakes are bad, and with good reason; there are 600 venomous species worldwide. The snake is nearly always a villain in myth and legend, a role that persists in cultural and religious history; it’s a serpent that convinces Eve to eat the apple from the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden.

 

David Teniers the Younger | Adam and Eve in Paradise, 1650s | The Met Museum

 

Ancient Greek Gorgon Medusa’s hair was formed from snakes. In Hindu mythology, Naga is a semi-divine deity, half man-half cobra, while in Mesoamerican culture, Kukulkan is a plumed snake that features prominently in carvings in the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itzá.

 

Hokusai | The Lute and White Snake of Benten, 1847 | National Museum of Asian Art

 

Yet, this primeval fear of snakes hasn’t ended up solely with horror; instead, it has morphed into a fascination with all things slithery and serpentine. This may have something to do with the explosion of interest in the natural world in the 19th century that helped to educate the public about snakes, with exotic species a particular focus.

 

Simon Fokke | South American Rattlesnake, 1722-1784 | Rijksmuseum

 

The first reptile houses opened in Europe in the mid-19th century, with much made of venomous snakes; so much so that a Sherlock Holmes adventure of 1892 has a swamp adder used as a murder weapon. The Pre-Raphaelites were interested in this reptile’s symbolic messaging, as seen with designs by De Morgan featuring snakes in foliage or with birds.

 

Vitra

 

Cartoon snakes became favourite villains in early Disney films, including the evil Kaa in The Jungle Book (1967) and Sir Hiss in Robin Hood (1973). The final seal of approval, Vitra’s magic snake wall relief, was designed by Alexander Girard in 1966 and has more than a touch of Disney about it. Even more recently Seletti’s hyper-real snake print has been an ongoing best seller, the motif appearing on everything from travel trolleys to toilet paper.

 

Seletti

 

Snakeskin too has always had associations with wild unorthodoxy; Led Zeppelin founder Jimmy Page owned a pair of boots with buckles while in David Lynch’s Wild at Heart (1990) Nicholas Cage declares that his snakeskin jacket is ‘A symbol of my individuality and my belief in personal freedom’.

 

Rug'Society

 

Right now, a walk on the wild side may be the right antidote to the ongoing need for safety. Sometimes, as with horror films, a little controlled danger is oddly comforting. Perhaps that’s why there are signs that snakes are slithering back onto our radar. It helps of course that the coils of a snake’s body make an irresistibly pliant visual motif for designers to play with. Moooi certainly loves a serpent or two with its Queen Cobra wallcovering.

 

Moooi

 

At Rug’Society, a rug, part of the brand’s Botanical collection adds a touch of deco danger, while Giuseppe Zanotti released a glowing green digital edition of its Cobras trainers in the Meterverse. So, while flowers, birds and butterflies endure, there are always those who want something a little darker and more dangerous. Less Snow White, more Wicked Queen, the snake offers a delicious glimpse of danger.

 

Rug'Society

 

MIX Magazine is a quarterly print and digital publication by our creative agency, Colour Hive and is available as part of Colour Hive membership.

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