Material reference

Blue Snakeskin Jasper · Balat ng Tapang

Scientific identity, documented history, and community contexts are presented with sources. TÁWID’s contemporary design interpretation is identified separately.

Material identity

“Blue Snakeskin Jasper” is a patterned-stone trade name. Jasper is generally an opaque, fine-grained silica material, but a scale-like pattern is a visual description rather than a mineral analysis. The colour and pattern of a marketed bead do not independently establish its composition, treatment, or mine.

The Australian Museum places jasper among the patterned materials in the chalcedony family and notes the wider commercial practice of artificially staining fine-grained quartz. This does not prove treatment of this particular product. It explains why a striking colour must be described separately from the evidence for its cause. [1] [3]

Documented historical context

The Met holds a jasper scarab dated to approximately 2030–1550 BCE, found on the right-hand ring finger of a mummy. Its beetle form was associated in ancient Egypt with coming into being and rebirth; the museum explains a linguistic relationship between the Egyptian words for beetle and becoming. The amulet belongs to a specific funerary setting.

That object documents jasper carving, not the modern Blue Snakeskin trade variety. The first use and geographical origin of this patterned-stone name are not established in the references. TÁWID’s interpretation of its scale-like pattern as adaptation is contemporary. [2]

TÁWID’s contemporary interpretation

Balat ng Tapang is TÁWID’s contemporary reflection on adaptation.

References

1. US Geological Survey, “Natural Gemstones: Mineral Gemstones”
2. Metropolitan Museum of Art, “Scarab,” Middle Kingdom–Second Intermediate Period, ca. 2030–1550 BCE, 19.3.156
3. Australian Museum, “Quartz”

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