Mandragora

22K GOLD, 2024

The guiding motif of the object is mandrake—a plant known and described since antiquity, present in medical, botanical and magical texts. Its content of tropane alkaloids endowed it with hallucinogenic and medicinal properties, contributing to the emergence of numerous beliefs and rituals surrounding its harvesting. In medieval iconography, mandrake roots were often depicted in anthropomorphic form, reinforcing their symbolic significance. The design draws upon this tradition while deliberately avoiding literal representation of either the plant’s appearance or its historical imagery.

Behind the Work