Eco Art by mayah(c)2019 Box Creation 08, "Ruth and Naomi" 6.5" X 8.5" X 2.5"
Made from recycled cracker box turned inside-out and coated with matte acrylic**** for low-gloss sheen and protection; jute hanger (not shown); images from old calendar; art paper background; handmade book; Star-of-David jewelry piece.
I was inspired to make this art piece after looking through an old Jewish calendar; all of the monthly images of Jewish art were provided by The Library of The Jewish Theological Seminary, New York City.** In the calendar, accompanying the image of Ruth and Naomi, was a brief summary of their story from the Book of Ruth that is in the Tanakh (the Jewish Bible that includes the Torah and other writings):
"Naomi and Ruth: The Bible reveals the story of Naomi, aging mother-in-law of Ruth, the widow of her son. Naomi's future is bleak and she decides to return from the land of Moab to her homeland in Eretz Israel. When her devoted daughter-in-law follows, Naomi urges Ruth, a Moabite, to return to her own home and seek a better life for herself. Ruth refuses and the two women become bound by love and mutual respect. Ruth heeds the advice of her wise mother-in-law in affairs of re-marriage and Naomi gains comfort from the woman who will give her a grandson to fill her life with joy; a grandson who will become the ancestor of David, the greatest king of Israel. This story takes place in twelfth century BCE but still resonates today as a timeless example of women benefitting from the bonds they form. The story of Ruth and Naomi is read on Shavout (Feast of Weeks)* and the practice of loving kindness recalled."
"Ruth and Naomi" as seen in this art piece was cut out of the larger calendar image of "Naomi Urging Ruth to Depart. Engraver: Jules Gabriel Levasseur (after a painting by Ary Scheffer***), New York (late 19th century)" . The small hand-sewn book below them is made out of art paper enhanced with gold paint, and on each page is a small image of Judaica (Jewish art,books,ritual objects) cut out from the calendar, 24 in all (including two that cannot be seen, on the front and back covers, glued down onto the cardboard box). The images seen on the innermost pages of the little book are of a Siddur (Jewish prayer book) from Lisbon, Portugal, late 15th century, with pages comprised of ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on parchment. The Star-of-David jewelry piece is from a necklace I purchased when visiting Israel in 2015.
Side view: I glued the cut-out of the women onto thin cardboard and then glued just the bottom half onto the box so that the women's heads and Naomi's arm/hand would stick out for a bit of a 3-D effect.
To add to the theme of women, Judaism, and spirituality, I glued an old open matchbook onto the side of the box that says: "The Sabbath Candles: It is the duty and privilege of the Jewish woman to brighten the home by lighting candles on the eves of Sabbath and Holidays. Now, more than ever, it is important to spread the light and dispel the darkness of our times. The Sabbath candles contribute peace at home and in the world, something we so desperately need today. Every Jewish woman, including little girls, should light candles every Friday evening 18 minutes before sunset (the Jewish Sabbath, or Shabbat, starts at sunset on Friday evening and ends after sunset on Saturday night). When the candles are lit the following blessing is said:
Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu Melekh ha olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Shabbat: "Blessed are You, Creator of the Universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments and commanded us to light Shabbat candles."
*What is Shavout? This year, Shavout started the eve of June 8, 2019. In Israel, the holiday is celebrated for 24 hours; for Jews in the rest of the world, it is celebrated for 48 hours. Most of us have heard the story in the Torah (part of the Jewish Bible) in the book of Exodus of the time when Moses ascended Mount Sinai and received the Ten Commandments. Shavout is a lesser-known story when Moses ascends Mount Sinai a second time and receives the entire Torah (The Five Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). "It is considered a highly important historical event. Shavuot is sometimes called the Jewish Pentecost. The word Pentecost here refers to the count of fifty days after Passover" and is associated with the "presenting of offerings for the new grain of the summer wheat harvest in Israel." More about Shavuot: https://velveteenrabbi.blogs.com/blog/shavuot/
**The Library of The Jewish Theological Seminary, New York City: http://www.jtsa.edu/library "The JTS Library houses the greatest collection of Judaica in the Western Hemisphere... We invite students and the public to explore the collection in our space on campus or online."
***Ruth and Naomi, original painting by Ary Scheffer, 1856: https://www.wikiart.org/en/ary-scheffer/ruth-and-naomi-1856
****AFM Safecoat AcriGlaze: https://www.afmsafecoat.com/products/clear-finishes/safecoat-acriglaze-gloss-and-matte
"Eco Art by mayah" utilizes recycled and earth-friendlier materials whenever possible.
Eco Art Cardboard Box Creations from the 16-part series:
"Into the Unknown" and "Hives" Boxes 15 and 16 https://www.curezone.org/blogs/fm.asp?i=2426412
"Tiger Rose" Box 14: https://www.curezone.org/blogs/fm.asp?i=2426411
"Space-Time-Matter-Energy" Box 12 https://www.curezone.org/blogs/fm.asp?i=2426060
"SunBee" and "Van Gogh Revisited" Boxes 11 and 13 https://www.curezone.org/blogs/fm.asp?i=2426047
"Ocean" and "Precious" Boxes 09 and 10 https://www.curezone.org/blogs/fm.asp?i=2425757
"Tree" and "Dad's Home!" Boxes 06 and 07 https://www.curezone.org/blogs/fm.asp?i=2425378
"Tires" Box 05 https://www.curezone.org/blogs/fm.asp?i=2424954
"Squiggles" and "Goddess Two" Boxes 03 and 04 https://www.curezone.org/blogs/fm.asp?i=2424544
Cardboard Redux: Box 02 https://www.curezone.org/blogs/fm.asp?i=2423605
Cardboard Creations, including Box 01 https://www.curezone.org/blogs/fm.asp?i=2423058
MORE Eco Art:
Happy Summer Solstice! https://www.curezone.org/blogs/fm.asp?i=2425617
Memorial Day 2019: https://www.curezone.org/blogs/fm.asp?i=2424978
EcoArt: Easter/Resurrection Festival https://www.curezone.org/blogs/fm.asp?i=2424028