Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Sapphire for Muirgheall O'Riein

The Sapphire is a baronial award from the Barony of Concordia focusing on prowess in the arts and sciences.

The words were written by Aislinn Chiabach and read as follows:

"
There is a tale told of a gift given in ages past.  The gifter wished the gentle to understand especially the form, the number, the material, and the color of the gift.


The roundness of the ring signifies eternity, which has neither beginning nor end, moving from the terrestrial to the celestial, from the temporal to the eternal.

The one single band signifies a constancy of mind  neither to be cast down in adversity or elevated in prosperity

The color and the type of stone is  the crux of the gift:

Sapphire, profound azure, for the Arts and Sciences, expression in its varied forms, branches of knowledge, and truths.

The giver entreated the gentle to value the mystery implied by the gift more highly than the gift itself.

We, Baron Jean-Paul Ducasse and  Baroness Lylie Penhill, sentinels of Our Beloved Baronial Lands of Concordia, have looked for folk both near and far who embody these gem like qualities.

Muirgheall O'Riein is well known for her creativity in the fine and ancient art of Pysanky, the dyeing of eggs. This art has existed for so many generations that time has forgotten when it first came to be. It has been deeply tied to festivities in many a land.

Muirgheall has expressed the art of Pysanky with a delicate grace. Not only does she create these marvelous eggs for others to enjoy, she teaches her skills at every opportunity. Through Muirgheall's tutelage, may this art continue perpetually.

For exemplifying all the qualities in that ancient tale, today We have decided to include Muirgheall O'Riein into Our Order of the Sapphire.  For she is a gift to Us, and all of Concordia.
Done this Day the 28th of May in the Barony of Concordia of the Snows.  Anno Societatis 52."


The hand for the calligraphy was a style of miniscule.

The illumination inspiration was from a book called Scivias illustrated by Hildegard von Bingen in 1151. The actual illustration in the book is lovingly nicknamed the Cosmic Egg, which just felt right. There were a few changes, only so that the depictions of designwork that Muirgheall O'Riein has used in making her Pysanky would be visible as well.

Done using sumi ink, walnut ink, gold flake paint, and gauache. No picture I seemed to take gave the colors justice, though.

No comments:

Post a Comment