After a week of days dawning cloudy and gray, on this morning Father Sun returned, triumphant, amid perfect clear skies. Since then, a few light and puffy clouds have drifted overhead, but the spring winds promised by the forecast will drive them eastward soon enough.
Today, the spirit of the light is strong and sure, spilling boldly across the land, casting elongated shadows upon the grass. The dance like tall thin katsinam, here to visit for a brief time while the morning remains silent, before returning to their place in the other world once this one awakens and begins to stir.
On a morning so bright, it seems fitting to feature a pair of Wings’s works that embody the sunlight itself — specifically, the dawn sunlight. These two are unusual in a couple of ways: The light is part of the precious metal itself, no need for a stone; and they are wrought of a material outside of Wings’s customary medium. Instead of sterling silver, these two pieces are made of brass, a precious metal in the color of Father Sun himself.
The first of today’s featured works is the one shown above, a small anticlastic ring in the form of a finger cuff. From its description in the Rings Gallery here on the site:
Dawn Magic Finger Cuff
The pale yellow of the dawn sky on a perfectly clear Pueblo day shines from the surface of this anticlastic ring. Traditional symbols are hand-stamped down the center of the band; its sides slope gently skyward. The finger-cuff design makes it easily and fully adjustable.
Brass
$105 + shipping, handling, and insurance
The shaping of the band reflects the magic of both the dawn light and its dance, gentle slopes catching it, holding it, casting their own small shadows that move across its length. It’s beautifully simple, but it creates the effect of wearing rays of light upon your hand.
Its companion piece is simpler still, a spare brass band with almost no added ornamentation, only a few traditional symbols scattered down its center. From its description in the same gallery:
Sunlight Finger Cuff
Capture the golden glow of the noonday sun and keep it always at hand with this simple brass ring. Traditional symbols accent the center of the clean, elegant band; a Florentine finish creates a warm, diffuse glow. The finger-cuff design keeps it easily adjustable for any finger.
Brass
$95 + shipping, handling, and insurance
Absent the curves of a anticlastic shaping, this band seems brighter, its color more intense: the light of the sun from dawn to its ascension directly overhead. It follows the arc of the orb’s own path, yet casts no shadow — an unadulterated band of pure light.
They are, thanks to the metal from which they are wrought, Wings’s most modestly priced works. But their price tag bears little relationship to the spirit they hold, one that embraces and embodies the light of a new day.
~ Aji
All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.
