Herodias Serpent Framed Art Print | Old Heaven

Berlin, 1905. Mallarmé's Hérodiade, carried into German by Stefan George, was issued in seven copies on imperial Japan paper. Melchior Lechter painted two ornaments by hand for the edition.

Blue capitals. Gold rules. The sort of page that makes you turn down the lamp, then turn it up again.

Its heroine preferred an exquisite distance. Lechter's serpent appears to share the policy.

Seven heads, each beneath its own star. Cobalt necks rise from a knot of gold-patterned coils, composed with the fastidiousness of a jeweler and the assurance of someone whose name is already on the list. Sacred at first glance. Less reassuring when you count the mouths.

We were taken by that combination. The splendor, certainly. Also the complete absence of any wish to put you at ease. This is a creature that could keep a secret for centuries and consider the conversation unfinished.

An Old Heaven framed art print after Lechter’s Herodias ornament, with the ivory ground and blue-and-gold intricacy given room to breathe inside a generous white border.

Hang it where the afternoon light finds it. Your guests may ask what it means. You are under no obligation to make them comfortable.

Framed print details

• 8 × 10-inch matte paper print in your choice of black or white pinewood frame
• Centered 3.62 × 4.83-inch ivory image panel, surrounded by a generous printed white border
• Clear plexiglass cover, rigid backing, and pre-installed hanging hardware
• Gold ornament reproduced in ochre ink tones with a matte finish
• Approximately ¼ inch of the paper edge sits beneath the frame; the central artwork remains fully visible
• Frame manufactured in Italy; printed and assembled in the USA or Canada
• Made to order for indoor display; ships to the United States and its territories

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Artwork: Melchior Lechter, title ornament for Stéphane Mallarmé's Herodias (German version by Stefan George), Berlin: Blätter für die Kunst, 1905. Public domain. Source scan: Württembergische Landesbibliothek Stuttgart, Stefan George Archiv.