Religious Reliquaries ~ John’s Tooth
Religious Reliquaries ~ John’s Tooth
John’s Tooth was the first in a series of religious reliquaries that I created. I started with the wonderful vintage picture of the nun and discovered that I already had this lovely green paper with the gold embossed design running through it. The rhinestones and baguettes came from a broken piece of costume jewelry that I found at a yard sale. I’ve been searching for broken pieces of jewelry for my reliquaries ever since.On the right, inside is a haunting vintage image of the nun clutching a rosary. She is cloaked in pale green with a halo of gold around her head. On either side of her are wooden columns marbled with paper and gold braid. Above her hangs a golden cross, while vintage emerald glass beads and rhinestones shine on either side.
Shimmering green paper with a delicate gold filigree is behind her and on the left. A glass ampule nestled on a pillow of green velvet and tied with a golden silk thread holds the relic: a tiny pearl of a baby tooth. It’s surrounded by a vintage gold paper medallion, green velvet and gold ribbon, and decorative gold leaves at each corner.
On the front, two overlapping layers of paper cover a raised cross decorated with a repurposed piece of jewelry to give the finishing touch to this religious reliquary.
