Tranquil in a kaleidoscopic prism of time, The Glass Swan rests in a diffusion of pastel colour. The castle courtyard presents a still life of glinting fruits and glistening glass. Delicate light refracts through filmy bubbles, gossamer flags, glazed orbs and crystalline liquids, piercing yet causing no harm: a symbol of immaculate purity. Glossy, baroque pearls signify preciousness and truth, while crumpled mountains rise from the chalky waters beyond. Tiny insects symbolise nature’s transience.

The Glass Swan was inspired by Italian Renaissance paintings and cultural events alongside beliefs and attitudes of the era; the dichotomy of idealism versus naturalism opening a portal to landscapes of fantasy, a ‘New World’. Glass, bubbles and delicate, translucent fabrics were all employed within Italian Renaissance art as a metaphor or philosophical allegory for the immaculate conception, for light passes through these objects without causing harm. In this vein, Botticelli’s Primavera and The Birth of Venus were referenced, in tandem with strings and chains of pearls, denoting purity, preciousness and truth. The immediate scene around the protagonist is a Renaissance still life; again, translucent liquids and glass objects are employed for their symbolism, while citrus (known as ‘medicinal apples’) are abandoned half-peeled. Small creatures, such as wasps and snails, act as symbols of the brevity and impermanence of life. Bordered by a satin ribbon, the scene is laid within a fairytale landscape, where pastel palaces and elegant spires extend into the hazy skies from atop the lofty mountains. This is no ordinary view; it is a place where the immortals tread, the state between earth and heaven.

The whimsical text within the design is a play on Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus.

• 100% Cashmere
• 135cm x 135cm
• Hand Fringed Edging
• Made In England
• Dry Clean Only
• Style SS26-CA-TGS-CR/CA-135

About the Brand

Sabina Savage offers elaborate, heritage-inspired prints on exquisite fabrics. The brand produces two collections per year, Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter, and each collection tells a different tale from the last. Fantastical stories are woven through each hand-illustrated collection, meandering across continents and delving headfirst into the depths of history. Each detail within a design holds a key to the tale, and every design is a treasure trove of references.