witchwood- night sky

the windows of the cottage cast a warm glow upon the surrounding gardens that reach just to the edge of the low wooden fence. the neighbouring creatures don't really know what to make of this dwelling, but as odd as it is, it's a safe place and a source of warmth and good health for any who have braved the door. 

the rabbits who live near the cherry grove will tell you about the time they brought their youngest to the cottage when she had a fever. how they looked through the windows from the inside and saw the sky, the rolling clouds, the way the moon cut through everything to shine on this place and reassure them of their choices. they were three nights in the cottage tending their babe with this being whose furs had a smoothness unlike hair or feathers that swirled around them in a variety of colour dark and light. various trinkets and flashing metallics clung to them and made tinkling noises rarely heard in the wood.

the small rabbit was murmured over, given tea and tinctures, and began to show improvement within hours. the two legged being encouraged the family to stay until the moon was properly crescent to ensure the illness had passed, they seemed so sure and calm. the parents reassured and bolstered, fed and rested, were free to watch over their young and soak in the peace of this place. 

the witch of the wood was at work.



night sky is a micromosaic piece set in the witchwood. these earrings on handmade sterling silver hooks are comfortable and easy to wear, featuring purple, various blues, and black smalti filati all arranged to create tiny vignettes. 

this is a sterling silver piece with hand laid micromosaic.

the inlay is hand cut glass placed piece by piece to make this moonlit scene.

the earrings are 45mm from the top of the hook to the bottom of the inlaid portion.

 

micromosaic is an ancient art form. examples dating back to the byzantine era have been discovered intact with the same scale of tesserae that are used in modern examples.
micromosaic were especially popularised during the 17th and 18th century when young well-to-do europeans would embark on the grand tour. small works of art, usually depicting scenery or religious iconography were made as micromosaic and adorned everything from jewellery to snuff boxes to small decor like tables by secretive artisans in italy. glass families created the filati (the thin, delicate strands of enamel glass used in this craft, the word literally means thread in italian) using their secret formulas for colour to make unique combinations and shapes for their micromosaic artists. 

even today the media for this craft are difficult to procure and the ancient method is prohibitive to learn due to the lack of educational materials. It is still a secret art, and a laborious one. 

looking at each finished piece up close you can see the different tesserae, the name given to the individually placed pieces of glass. each tesserae is the broken end of a tiny piece of glass filati, placed on it's end into a specially blended clay. the tesserae need to be pushed right up against one another to form tension in the finished piece. once the clay dries out the raw ends of the filati are painstakingly, and gently, ground by hand to make a matte, flat  surface. several diamond grits are used to make a smooth finish which is then covered in natural, local beeswax. the beeswax is scraped off and buffed.

due to the nature of hand made and hand pulled glass there are often imperfections in the filati, these are visible on the surface of all micromosaic works and add to the beauty of the handmade process.

micromosaic should never be worn to bed or in water. 
the glass surface should be left as undisturbed as possible to ensure a long life to the wearer. 
try to avoid dropping these pieces on hard surfaces.

micromosaic jewellery should not be submerged in silver dip or other sterling/precious metal cleaners.
a polishing cloth can be used on the metal parts but not on the glass surface. avoid the glass surface with rouge based cloths.

store your micromosaic sealed in the included plastic bag with the anti tarnish paper when they aren't being worn.