Sono profondamente affascinata dagli elefanti, creature meravigliose, intelligenti, generose, dotate di grande sensibilità, così un giorno mi è venuto in mente di riprodurne uno per realizzare un pendente in rame.
Dopo avere sbalzato la sagoma dell'elefante e averla patinata , ho preparato uno sfondo a forma tonda in rame cercando un colore in contrasto con il colore grigio/argento dell'elefantino.
Così ho scelto dei colori viola/rosso/arancione pensando che il mio elefantino stesse passeggiando nel tramonto di un deserto africano.
E qualche giorno fa , sorpresa singolare,ho trovato una fotografia di Barry Moore di un vero tramonto africano con dei colori davvero simili.
Che singolare evenienza quando le immagini di luoghi che non abbiamo mai visto sono in qualche misterioso modo stratificate nella nostra coscienza.
Sempre per rimanere nei colori africani ho aggiunto delle speciali perline vintage del negozio Etsy Oldworldbeads, palline e rondelle diamantate in argento 925 trovate da Stefania e Patrizia del negozio Sulle Ali della Fantasia di Malnate e due belle gocce una più grande in diaspro giallo e una più piccola in quarzo rutilato.
Una volta terminata la collana ero curiosa di conoscere il significato simbolico degli elefanti e ho trovato molte notizie interessanti.
Da secoli e in molteplici culture sia orientali, sia occidentali l'elefante è considerato un simbolo di buona fortuna. Le qualità principali degli elefanti sono la forza e la risolutezza e quindi sono un simbolo di forza fisica e mentale.
Nel Buddismo è un simbolo di forza mentale- La mente non disciplinata e non controllata dalla consapevolezza del proprio io è paragonata ad un elefante grigio che in qualsiasi momento può correre e distruggere qualsiasi cosa incontri. La mente domata e disciplinata è simbolizzata da un elefante bianco forte e potente che può essere guidato e può superare tutti gli ostacoli.
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I love elephants. They are wonderful, clever, generous , sweet creatures often abused by humans.
So that I have cut a copper sheet in the shape of an elephant, I have embossed and patinated it and overlapped on a copper disk previously texturized and patinated in the colours of an african sunset.
As a fringe in the lower portion of the pendant I have combined yellow chalcedony and rutilated quartz drops wired by me.Wonderful vintage beads by Karen of Oldworldbeads Etsy shop, unique fuchsia and ivory little rondelles and 925 silver round stardust beads I found at my favourite shop in Malnate "Sulle Ali della Fantasia" of my dear friend Patrizia and Stefania.
Just for a little journey to Africa in your heart....
The elephant is considered to be a symbol of good luck in many cultures, even modern Western ones. This veneration originated in India and south-east Asia, where the Hindu religion is particularly responsible for much of the honour assigned to these animals.
The main characteristics of the elephant are his strength and steadfastness. There for it become a symbol of physical and mental strength, as well as responsibility and earthiness.
In Indian mythology we hear about the flying elephants and Airavata, the white elephant who become the vehicle of Indra and appeared from the churning of the milky ocean. Therefore white elephants are considered very special and with the power to produce rain. They are identified as rain-bearing clouds, which will explain the belief in the flying elephants. In Indian society elephants were considered to bring good luck and prosperity. They were owned by the kings and used in wars.
In buddhism the elephant is a symbol of mental strenght. At the beginning of one's practice the uncontrolled mind is symbolised by a gray elephant who can run wild any moment and destroy everything on his way. After practising dharma and taming one's mind, the mind which is now brought under control is symbolised by a white elephant strong and powerful, who can be directed wherever one wishes and destroy all the obstacles on his way.
Buddha Shakyamuni was born as elephant in some of his previous incarnations. Also in his last incarnation as Siddharth Gautama he songs: descended from the Tushita pure land and entered his mother's womb in the form of a white elephant.
In buddhist iconography we find the elephant-faced deity Gangpati or Ganesh as an emanation of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. Also in another aspect, representing the worldly aspect of the same evergy he is trampled upon by same other deities such as Mahakala, Vajra Bhairava and others.
In the mandala offering ritual one offers to the Buddha the Precious Elephant, with the strength of one thousand elephants and who can circumdbulate the whole universe three times in one day. Also the elephant tusks are one of the Seven Royal Emblems.
The elephant is the vehicle of the Tathagata Aksobhya and the deity Balabadra. The elephant also appears as a guardian of the temples and of Buddha himself.
The Hindu god, Ganesha, is their god of wisdom and success, The Remover of Obstacles. He is, in fact, worshipped by all Hindu sects as well as some Jains and further parts of India. This god is represented by an elephant-headed human with two pairs of arms, and originates from between the and 5th Centuries of our Common Era.
These same cultures also consider the elephant to be a symbol of fertility. The sheer vastness and strength of the beast is said to boost the male libido. Male elephants also tend to become angered and enraged when in a rut. This strong sense of emotion has also been linked to raw sexual power between a man and a woman.
Indra was another god that was linked to elephants. He was the king of the gods, and used an elephant as his royal mount. In addition, Indra was god of the warriors. As such, he used elephants as his weapons in several ways. He also used his status as god of rain by using the elephant to cause a much-needed monsoon for his people.
Elephants have also been connected with clouds – an unexpected connection, perhaps. Elephants were believed to have been symbols of the clouds and people even believed that the elephants created the clouds. Their physical appearance of being large and grey and their slow, careful nature is likely to have played a major part in this connection.
The elephant has long been held as a totem, or charm. Because of the strong family bonds that exist among the family members within the elephant species, totems are said to improve the love and respect among members of the family of anyone possessing the elephant totem. This should be manifest in the care for the young, elderly and sick of the herd or family, as well as the sense of strength within one’s self. They are, therefore, honoured as key players in reestablishing family ideals and thereby improving those of the entire society.
The trunk plays a major role in superstitions regarding elephants as well. Most avid collectors, and even those with only vague superstitions, know that the trunk of an ornamental elephant should always be facing upwards in Western cultures and downwards in Eastern cultures for it to bring good fortune on the house in which it resides. In Western cultures, it is believed that an upward trunk ensures that good luck and prosperity do not run out, while a downward trunk signifies mourning.
The elephant has become a religious and cultural symbol for many reasons. Its ethereal presence has haunted men through the ages and forced a sense of awe and respect by its quiet mastery of the animal kingdom and undeniable connection to the human being.
Of all elephants, the white elephant is considered the most sacred. It is said that mothers of great teachers and masters will dream of white elephants. One story of Buddha's mother tells how she dreamt a white elephant had entered her womb.
Ma se vi rimane qualche dubbio sulle molteplici qualità di questi animali possenti, basta guardare qualche video e non avrete più dubbi.
Il CORAGGIO
La flessibilità e la capacità di adattarsi alle situazioni più insolite come salire e scendere da un treno!
E non potevo non fornire qualche notizia sul diaspro giallo che da secoli è considerato una pietra sana e potente di protezione per il fisico e l'anima, utilizzata nei secoli da sacerdoti, shamani e spiriti guida per difendere l'uomo nei suoi viaggi terreni e spirituali. Fornisce forza interiore e chiarezza mentale. Stimola il plesso solare e amplifica la fiducia in se stessi ed il coraggio dando energia ed entusiasmo e aiutando a svelare la falsità nelle persone.
Insomma certo una collana, ma anche molto altro .....dedicato in particolare alla mia amica Silvia Paniga alla quale è piaciuta moltissimo con mia grande gioia!!!