Thursday, May 16, 2013

Sacred Bull Necklace

It’s always gratifying when a design idea turns out the way we planned, but it’s an even rarer treat for a finished piece to greatly exceed our expectations. There was a rather long period when I thought that my latest Egyptian gods necklace was going to be a dud, and it wasn’t until the last minute that I realized it turned out perfectly.

My subject was Apis, the black bull of Memphis. Priests of the cult of Apis worshipped an actual bull, believed to be the reincarnation of the god Ptah. It was identified by several white markings, and treated like a king, including a lavish Egyptian burial.

Apis the Black Bull of Memphis Apis the Bull Bead Palette


I decided to blend a little from both gods, and included both black seed beads with beige, white, and real bone. For a hint of Ptah, I included some African trade beads in a dark lapis blue. Happily, I also had one more spiral bone pendant left, which would make the perfect focal for a bull necklace.

I was really eager to use the trade beads, but they aren’t as regular as new seed beads. I decided to go with spiral rope to give them a place to shine. The beadwork came out rather chunky thanks to the extra large beads. To mimic the white triangle on the forehead of the Apis bull, I switched from black and blue to white at the center of the rope. I added some natural bone heishi to replace the trade beads and provide a backdrop for the pendant.

Apis the Bull Spiral Necklace


I wasn’t at all thrilled with how the rope was looking at first, and I was sure that I had made a mistake. I was already committed, so I decided to see how the rope would turn out, and perhaps make another use for it. It wasn’t until everything was assembled that I realized how well the pattern and colors work together. The shock of white at the center of the necklace creates a great contrast.

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
Subscribe to Inspirational Beading
Get inspired on Facebook and Google+


3 comments:

  1. Lovely necklace ! The spiral bone pendant looks lovely and adds a very rustic look to the necklace . And I absolutely love the spiral rope .

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, I love the colours! Very beautiful! Isn't it so rewarding when one makes a piece that first looks a bit like a mess and then suddendly everything comes together and the result is stunning!

    ReplyDelete
  3. You made great choices, right down to the toggle.

    ReplyDelete

Blog Widget by LinkWithin
Fire Mountain Gems and Beads

Inspiration Topics

accessories amulet Ancient Worlds Modern Beads animals April's Army art ArtFire astrology astronomy autumn awards awareness bangle beach Bead Inspired Bead Shops bead soup bead spotlight bead stash Bead Trays beaded beads beading theory beads belt bezel birthstones black blog spotlight blue boho bone book spotlight bracelet Bracelet A Week branch fringe brick stitch brown bugles buttons cabochon ceramic chain maille challenge charity chevron chain christmas collar Collections color Color Ideas color triads conservation craft shows crafts crochet crystals cuff Culled Beads current events Current Faves daggers Daily Sets daisy chain Delicas Destash drops Dutch spiral earrings Egypt Egyptian Gods embellishing embroidery environment etsy exotic fair trade fantasy fashion Favorite Beads Favorite Techniques feminine fibers film findings fire polish fixtures Flashback Test flickr inspiration flowers food found object free form fringe Geek Jewels geekery gemstones geography giveaway glass gold gray Greece green herringbone hex cuts history holiday home decor insects inspiration tip inspired beader Inspired by... Inspiring Links ivory Jewelry Stash knitting ladder stitch lampwork lariat leaf fringe leather lights literature loomwork macrame magatamas Master Class Medallions metal free metalwork Mini Collar a Week mixed media mixture Mood Board MOP multi-color multi-strand music natural beads nature necklace Necklace a Day Nepal chain netting New Beads ocean ombre orange paint paper patterns pearls pendant peyote photography Picasso finish pink Pinspiration PMC polymer clay poster sketch purple quick inspiration rainbow RAW red resin ring Ring a Day rivoli Rome Russian spiral scarf science seed beads shell silver soutache spiral rope spring square stitch St. Petersburg steampunk stringing stripes summer tagua TBT The Elements thread Tilas Time Capsule tools trade beads triangle weave tribal tropical turquoise tutorial two-hole beads Ugly vintage Wear it Twice weather white winter WIP wire wishlist wood World Beaders yellow
Blog Home * About * Beading Tutorials * Advertise

Learn About Sponsoring Inspirational Beading with Project Wonderful
Affiliated With ShareASale.com and Amazon.com