ENCASE - REIMAGINING THE RITUAL OF PASSING DOWN GOLD JEWELLERY
critical design | product design
2021
Gold jewellery is a common legacy object in the local context, often left behind by our elders, for the next generation.
But what is the meaning of this gold jewellery to the next generation? Is it a holder of memories? Or a vessel of potential and value?
By designing ‘choice’ into the ritual, it brings consciousness to the receiver about their relationship with the gold jewellery and the meanings ascribed to the gold.
by Sen Fong Ling
Legacy and its generosity
We leave behind legacies to be remembered, and impact those around us. For example, a recipe is the memory of meals shared, but also passes down an actual skill and tradition to be carried on.
Legacy does not trap one in the past, it is generous. The recipe could be adapted and changed.
It is like a seed, that could be kept, or be planted and allowed to grow. In one object, two gifts are given.
It made me wonder if legacy objects could be passed down with this same generous spirit. To be allowed to change?
GOLD JEWELLERY
Gold jewellery, a common legacy object in many cultures, has the potential to be melted infinitely, without losing its quality or value.
Both a holder of memories and an object of value, what if we were given the choice to choose which gift to receive?
ASHANTI LOST-WAX CASTING
Using the ancient Ashanti lost-wax casting method, the two choices are sealed into a single clay cast.
The top holds the choice to preserve the gold jewellery. Conversely, the bottom holds the decision to renew, as the gold melts into the sprues, ready to grow into its next shape.
Encase
By sealing the gold in a cast, Encase reimagines the ritual of passing down gold jewellery—where one is given a choice.
One can either break it, to retrieve the original jewellery, or fire it, melting the gold into a token, a blank canvas to create the next piece of jewellery. A choice between preservation and renewal, questioning the relationship between the giver and receiver.
