The Schäppel ‒ a headdress made of tiny glass-beads and wire ‒ is a traditional bridal crown of the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) ‒ a region in southern germany. The materials used are different, but most of the times they are shiny and iridescent. Glass balls, sequins, beads, gold or silver wire are almost always used. Ribbons give abundance to many Schäppel. On old Schäppel are often fertility symbols made of brass sheet, such as ears or suns. Especially on the larger Schäppeln you can often see beaded mirrors. These should protect the bride from ghosts and the evil eye.
"According to folklore, a bad spirit frightens itself when it sees itself in the mirror," says Rosa Ringwald, one of the last Schäppelmacherinnen in the Black Forest. "Then he flees and leaves the bride in peace." Since it is a symbol for purity, only unmarried virgins are allowed to wear it. When a man looked at a woman wearing the crown, the mirrors on it should reflect his nasty desires. For the video, we captured the aesthetics of the object and combined it with its actual meaning in visual language. All nature-footage has been shot in different regions of the Black Forest. Nowadays, the Schaeppel-tradition is a pretty rare and uncommon craftsmanship for the region of black forest.