reliquary of wood

Back in around 2000 I was invited along with a number of other Eureka Springs artisans to make a shrine expressing the things we held sacred. The show was held in a gallery at the University of Arkansas. I decided to make a reliquary of wood, inspired by a small metal reliquary in the Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City. That reliquary inspired the  shape and size of mine, but rather than making it of metal, I made it from wood to hold 25 samples of Arkansas hardwoods, each worthy of reverence, with that term being inspired by Eric Sloan's book, A Reverence for Wood, and often associated with religion.

The way this box opens is related to a children's hand game, that some might remember. The game goes, "here's the church, here's the steeple. Open the doors and see all the people. In this case, the small wooden chapel is occupied by samples of the hardwoods of Arkansas.

The reliquary in the photo won best of show one year at the Springfield Art Museum. It is currently on display at the Museum of Eureka Springs Art. I made 3 and two are held by private collectors.

I'm currently making more. 

Make, fix and create...