Interlude

"Interlude"
Battle Of The Beadsmith 2016 (top 8)
Necklace featuring tiny natural sea urchin shell

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“Interlude” – Joanne Zammit (Malta)

“Interlude” refers to the period spent by Ulysses, the hero of Homer’s epic “The Odyssey”, on the Island known in the story as Ogygia as he was journeying back home. Caught up in a violent storm at sea, he was tossed on the waves for many days until he was finally washed ashore onto a beach of soft red sand. According to tradition this beach is none other than ‘Ir-Ramla l-Ħamra’ (translates to ‘The Red Sandy Beach’) in Gozo, one of the Maltese Islands. In a cave overlooking the beach he found the beautiful nymph Calypso with whom he spent several years and fathered two children.

Inspiration for “Interlude” was drawn from the story and from the place itself. The beautiful colours of the red sand of this beach and the bright blue Mediterranean Sea were used throughout. The colours deepen as the eye is carried down from the neck strap to the bottom of the fringe. I wanted to create the effect of the golden-red sand of this beach, darkening in colour as the sand nears the sea. The blue also deepens in colour to mimic the colour of the sea, from pale blue of shallow water on the sandy shore to darker blue of deeper waters. The two Aqua Chalcedony cabochons represent the two children. Calypso’s exquisite beauty is portrayed by the smallest, most perfect sea urchin shell from my collection.

More photos here:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/JoanneZammitBeadwork/photos/?tab=album&album_id=996827517091267