JEWELRY CLOISONNE |
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BYZANTINE PENDANTS
I took a private weekend study session with Mistress Diane de Winchester in October 2005 to learn the art of cloisonné. I came armed with my Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Glory of Byzantium book, which has several examples of period Byzantine cloisonné. Byzantines were masters of cloisonné and mass-produced pieces to be exported all over their part of the world (Europe, Russia, Egypt, etc.). Most seem to be religious in nature, but there are a few pieces I’ve found that were secular. |
A couple pieces that caught my eye were an early period pair of gold cuffs with small cloisonné panels set into them, on page 245 of the aforementioned book. The original cuffs are small – they could probably fit snugly around my wrists, which at their smallest points are 6” around. The pieces I made are probably larger than the originals. |
| According to Diane and her partner in crime Mark von dem Falkensfenn, the originals show evidence of having been buried, as the cloisonné panels have a dusty, shattered look to them. It’s something like that which really makes me wonder about the person who owned such treasures. What sort of troubles did they encounter that forced them to hide the cuffs, and why couldn’t they retrieve them? Would the person who had to leave them behind feel as sorrowfully for it as I imagine I would? It’s the sort of historical mystery that really good books are written about, like Girl With the Pearl Earring, The Red Tent, and In the Company of the Courtesan. But I digress . . despite the distortion of the glass, we did our best to pick colors that both matched the originals and looked good together. |
I chose a stylized flower design off the cuffs for my pieces, which I later learned was rather ambitious of me. Working with the design taught me a lot, however, for it incorporated several shape elements that were good for me to learn. These include perfect circles, sharp angles, heart shapes, and double curves. Diane had me do two matching pieces so I could use both translucent and opaque glasses in the same colors and see the end difference between the two. The Byzantines used both, but the cuffs seem to be done mostly in opaques. I like the way the opaque piece (on left below) turned out the best; the translucent piece, while lovely, has a shimmery look to it that isn’t to my taste. But that’s just me. |
| I worked hard over two days of 6 hours each, and at the end of the weekend Mark was kind enough to set the pieces in frames and chains suitable for wearing. I am very proud of these pieces, for they are the first (and so far, only) two completed pieces of cloisonne I have ever made and they turned out pretty darned spiff. I also earned Diane and Mark’s approval, which was very much worth the time and effort I spent on these pieces. I also left feeling as though I did some justice to the person who had to leave the originals behind, as though by recreating one small design from their jewels I have helped make up for their loss. It is part of why I think many of us play this game: to respect and honor the memory of those who created these items without the comforts and safety of the modern world, and who lived the lives we strive to recreate. |
I apologize for this not being the best picture in the world; it's a little shaky and furry around the edges. You can, however, see the differences between the opaque and the translucent glasses, both in transparency and color. Believe it or not, they are the same colors! I usually wear the opaque necklace, when I find an outfit that works with it. Both pendants are only about an inch or so high. |
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BYZANTINE CYPHERS
Again with the Byzantine . . but that's okay, because these were the cyphers that Queen Aurora gave out at 12th Night 2007, and she was the first Byzantine queen we've had since I believe Mari. Oddly enough, the king for both reigns was Rolf . . interesting. Anyway, Diane was tasked to come up with the design and I was brought in as slave . . um, appreciated labor. I spent one day in December (I think) of 2006 with Diane relearning how to bend wires, and wound up making enough for 5 cyphers. Aurora and Diane had worked to come up with a design based on Byzantine lettering and a number of people from inside and out of her court volunteered to help actually make the things. They are lovely, and I was honored to have been awarded one. |
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