Some time ago I finished one of my precious metal clay projects. Inspired by the tales of the Russian poet A.S. Pushkin. One of his poems “Ruslan and Ludmila” starts with the following lines:<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a green oak by the bay,<\/em> Another English translation of the poem, more dramatic:<\/p>\n Actually the poet meant the Tree of Life when he wrote these lines. Rooted in the underworld and reaching to the skies with its branches. With the cat as the keeper of time and tides, a symbol of everything which is cyclic.<\/p>\n Since it is about trees and cats, I thought it would make a nice chapter in the series of my precious metal clay projects. The tree can be made using different techniques. I melted the trunk from silver scrap and then used wire wrapping and beading for the canopy. But for such a fine detailed cat figure precious metal clay would make the best material.<\/p>\n Here is the video show how one of my precious metal clay projects took shape. It has made a nice piece of literary jewelry.<\/p>\n
\non the oak a chain of gold:<\/em>
\na learned cat, night and day,<\/em>
\nwalks round on that chain of old:<\/em>
\nto the right \u2013 it spins a song,<\/em>
\nto the left \u2013 a tale of wrong.<\/em><\/p>\nThere\u2019s a green oak-tree by the shores\r\nOf the blue bay; on a gold chain,\r\nThe cat, learned in the fable stories,\r\nWalks round the tree in ceaseless strain:\r\nMoves to the right \u2013 a song it groans,\r\nMoves to the left \u2013 it tells a tale.<\/pre>\n