Joden Girl
Baubles, Bling and the Season of Hope
The Christmas holidays are a celebration of the birth of Jesus, the Son of God.ย In the coming weeks, we will prepare to rejoice in the miracle of His humble beginnings while also anticipating the second coming.ย The advent season is a time of reflection and quiet joy.ย ย
Just this week, I discovered a brooch that brought to mind another of God’s promises.ย ย
“Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground.ย But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth.ย So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him.ย He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark.ย And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf.ย So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth.ย Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore.”ย Genesis: 8:8-12
Most likely made during the Arts & Crafts movement, this brooch is a creation unlike any I have seen.ย Protected beneath the glass is a tiny hand-sewn needlepoint tapestry.ย While the row of precise miniature stitches caught my eye, it was the subject itself that really grabbed me.ย It’s a dove with an olive branch…ย incredible and so symbolic.ย
The frame, an artistic conception of 18 karat yellow gold, was handmade with softly curved wires artfully applied to the textured surface.ย Age has settled into the recesses of the frame showcasing a lovely deep patina.ย The brooch exhibits signs of wear, not uncommon for a piece of this age, a true antique at just over 100 years old.ย Available now for only $860.00, this beauty from the past offers a promise of hope for the future. God sent the dove to Noah as a symbol of new life and a fresh start.
As we approach the end of one year and the beginning of the next, the olive branch is a symbol to remember.ย As the penultimate representation of peace, it should be extended to everyone we meet.ย ย
“You can go to a museum and look,ย or come to us and touch.”
Written by Carrie Martin
Photos by Dana Jerpe
