MICROCOCCUS

The role of the micrococcus in human culture is not incidental. Certain Neolithic communities used the seductive powers of these seashells for the domestication of animals. The Native Americans wore them strung to their belts as protection and some pre-Columbian peoples used them to communicate with the gods. At the end of the Middle Ages, the Venetian musician Guido Corradini composed a madrigal with samples brought by Marco Polo from the Far East, and Paolo Ucello hesitated until the last moment to incorporate them into his spears at The Battle of San Romano. The illustrious baron Odón de Bergamote went further, as in 1665 he constructed his famous labyrinth – now lost to history. To this historical fascination inspired by the micrococcus we now add a new use: the creation of these Maxi earrings, at a 12:1 scale.