Dawn.
A few small clouds, mostly white, are scattered overhead, tossed like seeds by some cosmic planter. The sun is just ascending behind the veil that wraps the back of the Spoonbowl, and our whole world is awash in silver light. It’s that same gleaming shade that touches earth and sky in the aftermath of a particularly powerful storm, when heavy weather gives way to a stronger sun — so strong, in fact, that even the rainbow cannot hold in the face of it.
It’s that moment when the light comes together and all the shades of visible light combine into one, a white so brilliant, it appears as the fire of molten silver.
We see hints of the light here throughout the day at this season: at dawn, filtered by the remnant clouds of the past day’s storm; around midday, when the silvered surface of the pond draws it down like a magnet, to set fire to its surface and create an shimmering space for the dragonflies’ dance.
And dancing on the light is what these small spirits do best. With the arrival of water here at last, across the earth and from the skies, their season is now.
Today’s featured work, itself one of dancing on the light, is actually two works in one: a set consisting of necklace and earrings, sold as one item. It’s a vintage-style set that pays tribute both to old traditional forms of Indigenous silverwork and to these small powerful messenger spirits who we hope have arrived now with the water. We begin with the necklace, a single large medallion of sterling silver ingot, hammered to refract that silvery light, stamped freehand to summon the image of Dragonfly to dance across its surface. From its description in the Necklaces Gallery here on the site:
Dancing On the Light Necklace and Earrings Set
Dragonflies are messengers of love and joy, small spirits dancing on the light. Wings pays tribute to their outsized power and ethereal beauty, and to the old ways of silversmithing, with this necklace-and-earrings set wrought vintage-style in sterling silver ingot. The necklace, shown in close-up below, is crafted of ingot silver, molten, poured, and hammered by hand into a roughly circular medallion, its flowing uneven edges evoking the traditional Native pendants of more than a century past. The surface is highly polished but left texturized with the ingot’s natural divots and lines. Centered upon it, Wings has evoked a dragonfly out of a collection of five separate stamped motifs: a single large hoop for the head, eight smaller hoops arcing below to form the body, two tiny waves for antennae, and two pairs of arrowhead symbols to create the wings. Not quite abstract, Dragonfly here is nonetheless highly stylized and summoned out of simple geometric shapes to dance on the silvery surface of the light. The pendant is hand-drilled at the top and hangs suspended from by a sterling silver jump ring from sturdy sterling silver snake chain. Pendant hangs roughly 1-1/8″ long by 1-1/8″ across at the widest point; chain is 20″ long (dimensions approximate). Matching earrings are shown in close-up in the Earrings Gallery; sold as a set.
Sterling silver ingot
$625 + shipping, handling, and insurance
The pendant, with its hand-hammered face, really does evoke silvered waters shimmering in the light, with Dragonfly, bold and articulated, dancing above their surface.
The earrings, by contrast, are smaller, a bit less smooth on the edges, but just as refractive of the light. From their description in the Earrings Gallery:
Dancing On the Light Necklace and Earrings Set
Dragonflies are messengers of love and joy, small spirits dancing on the light. Wings pays tribute to their outsized power and ethereal beauty, and to the old ways of silversmithing, with this necklace-and-earrings set wrought vintage-style in sterling silver ingot. The earrings, shown in close-up below, are crafted of ingot silver, molten, poured, and hammered by hand into roughly circular medallions, their flowing uneven edges evoking the traditional Native earrings of more than a century past. The surface of each is highly polished but left texturized with the ingot’s natural divots and lines. Centered upon each, Wings has evoked a dragonfly out of a collection of three separate stamped motifs: twelve tiny hoops for head and gracefully curving body, two gently swaying stalks for antennae, and two zigzagging pairs of symbols that represent, variously, lightning and flowing water to create the wings. Not quite abstract, Dragonfly here is nonetheless highly stylized and summoned out of simple geometric shapes to dance on the silvery surface of the light. The pendant is hand-drilled at the top and hangs suspended from by a sterling silver jump ring from sturdy sterling silver snake chain. Earrings hang roughly 1″ long by 7/8″ across at the widest point, excluding wires (dimensions approximate). Matching necklace is shown in close-up in the Necklaces Gallery; sold as a set.
Sterling silver ingot
$625 + shipping, handling, and insurance
It’s too early yet to know whether these small but powerful spirits have followed the water to us — at the moment, too cloudy to see the rainbow arc of their wings in the muted light. That will change.
There may be more rain today, or not; the forecast cannot seem to decide and changes seemingly by the hour, but chances of at least a shower seem likely. Before then, though, there will also be brilliant sun; perhaps a rainbow late in the day. What is certain as that when the light comes together, it will work its singular magic . . . and perhaps give small summer spirits a place to dance.
~ Aji
All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2020; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.
