Photos By Gail Except Where Noted
Snake Mirror II is a mesmerizing sculptural mirror by French artist and glass alchemist Nathalie Ziegler, and part of her ongoing series of serpentine mirrors. Born in Paris in 1970 and entirely self-taught in the demanding art of glass sculpture, Ziegler has carved out a singular niche in contemporary design by fusing traditional craftsmanship with a highly personal, nature-driven mythology.The artist sources her glass from the historic Verrerie de Saint-Just, a French factory operating since 1826, whose materials bring a luminous depth and subtle chromatic richness to her work. Each of her pieces is composed of dozens — sometimes hundreds — of blown-glass elements that she cuts, refines, and reassembles by hand, often with the support of specialized French ateliers for processes including silvering, sandblasting, and the construction of complex support structures. The result is a hybrid object that blurs the line between functional design and sculptural expression.
Image Courtesy of 21st Gallery
Snake Mirror II embodies this approach beautifully. Encircling two egg-shaped mirrors is a skin of shimmering, faceted glass “scales” arranged in a loose, undulating rhythm that evokes the movement of a living serpent. The effect is less literal and more ethereal: light plays off the individually shaped glass pieces, creating an almost liquid sense of motion around the mirror’s perimeter. Ziegler often speaks in terms of metamorphosis and elemental forces, and here the interplay of glass, fire, and reflection turns the mirror into a portal — something that changes as the viewer moves around it.
The snake motif carries added symbolic resonance within Ziegler’s practice. In a 2023 exhibition essay, philosopher Cynthia Fleury described the recurring serpent in Ziegler’s work as an invocation of the staff of Asclepius, the ancient emblem of healing. The idea reframes the snake not as a symbol of danger but as a vessel for transformation and restoration. This reading feels especially apt when considering the meditative, almost talismanic presence of Snake Mirror II, which seems designed not just to reflect the viewer’s image but to soothe, illuminate, and perhaps even “heal” through its rhythmic form and radiant surface.
In a design landscape that often favors minimalism or industrial sleekness, Ziegler’s mirror stands apart as something unapologetically tactile, poetic, and sensual. It reminds us that mirrors can do more than show us ourselves — they can transform the spaces they inhabit.
Ziegler’s “bestiary” of works — including dragons, birds, and various serpentine forms — places her firmly within the lineage of artists who use nature as both metaphor and medium. But it’s her devotion to craft, the alchemy of glass and fire, and her ability to infuse familiar objects with unexpected emotional resonance that makes this functional sculpture such a compelling addition to the contemporary design landscape.
Photographed in the 21st Gallery Booth During the 2022 Edition of Salon Art + Design