Handmade Art Nouveau ceramic morning glory border tile

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6x2 relief carved Art Nouveau morning glory ceramic tile border

The symbiotic relationship between pollinators such as bees and flowers is well known, but not only are bees drawn to a flowers bright colors, aroma and patterns, they are also drawn to the generally negative charge of a flowers electric field. Unlike the grounded flower a bee will typically have a positive charge from the friction of brushing against microscopic particles in the air as they fly. Because of these opposite electrical charges the pollen from a flower literally jumps onto a bee as it lands. The charge in the flower then changes for a few minutes letting other bees know it has recently been visited and may be low in nectar for the moment.

Handcrafted, relief carved Celtic mermaid ceramic tile

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8x8 relief carved Celtic mermaid ceramic tile done here in an art glaze we call emerald shadow.

The Merrow

The Merrow, or in the Irish, Moruadh or Murruadh, from muir, sea, and oigh, a maid, is not uncomon they say, on the wilder coasts. The fishermen do not like to see them, for it always means coming gales. The male Merrows ( if you can use such a phrase...I have never heard the masculine of Merrow) have green teeth, green hair, pig's eyes, and red noses; but their women are beautiful, for all their fish tails and the little duck like scale between their fingers. Sometimes they prefer, small blame to them, good looking fishermen to their sea lovers. Near Bantry in the last century, there is said to have been a woman covered all over with scales like a fish, who was decended from such a marriage. Sometimes they come out of the sea, and wander about the shore in the shape of little hornless cows. They have, when in their own shape, a red cap, called a cohullen druith, usually covered in feathers. If this is stolen, they can not again go down under the waves. Red is the color of magic in every country, and has been from the very earliest times. The caps of fairies and magicians are well-nigh always red.

~ From the Book of Fairy & Folk Tales of Ireland, compiled by W.B. Yeats, 1892.~

Decorative handmade ceramic Celtic heart tile

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6x6 relief carved ceramic Celtic heart tile

It is said by some that the very ancient festival of lupercalia, February 13-15 in honor of Lupercus, god of shepherds and Lupa, the she wolf that suckled the orphan founders of Rome, Remus & Romulus is the origin of Valentines day. In Roman tradition the festival began with the Luperci (brothers of the wolf) priests. With foreheads smeared in sacrificial blood wiped from the knife with milk soaked wool, wearing only a bit of goat skin on their back, the Luperci priests would circle the city of Rome whipping the women that lined the route with shaggy goat thong whips.  This was believed to ensure the barren fertility and the pregnant easy deliveries. Other Roman men of high rank would later get naked and run about town whipping any women they could get near.  Another of the festivities during Lupercalia included eligible men drawing maiden's names from an urn, the couple would then pair up for the remainder of the festival, sometimes longer. Around 496 AD Pope Gelasias, feeling that this running around in nothing but sacrificial blood, worshiping a human suckling wolf goddess and most of all the pairing of un married couples was not in keeping with the Christian teachings, ended the festival and replaced it with St. Valentines day whom he declared the patron saint of lovers (that being a whole other story) February 14 then became the day for men to draw the names of saints from the urn and spend the following year emulating their drawn saint. This practice proved to be much less popular than the Lupercalia festivities and quickly fizzled out. By the 15th century Valentines day had returned to coupling eligible singles and attempts to revive the saint pairing later never caught on. During medieval chivalry days the Valentines custom was to draw names in pairs, the man then wearing the name of his chosen woman on his sleeve, honor bound to attend and protect her. The 17th century saw the custom of exchanging elaborate hand made cards with flowery verse. Pre fabricated cards and a reduction in postal rates in 1797 ushered in the practice of mailing Valentine cards. Suddenly, most likely due to the anonymity of the mail, great numbers of racy and sexually suggestive cards began to appear. A great stir was caused amongst the prudish Victorians and several countries actually banned the exchange of cards due to the large number of obscene Valentines circulating. In the late 19th century the Chicago post office rejected tens of thousands of cards as not being fit to be carried through the US mail. But those Valentine cards were just not to be stopped and today February 14, jokingly referred to as a 'hallmark' holiday has the highest sale of cards than any other day of the year and I'm sure one can find a good smattering of sexually suggestive ones among them, especially by Victorian standards. So Happy Lupercalia!

Decorative relief carved, hand painted ceramic iris tile

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4x10 relief carved and hand painted ceramic Iris tile.

The iris is one of the most readily recognized flower in the world, with over 300 species in every color of the rainbow. It's Rhizome root known as Orris has been used since ancient times for perfumes, soap and it's medicinal properties. In ancient Greece the goddess Iris was credited with restoring calm to the forces of nature after a storm, known as the keeper of the rainbow which she personified to lead the souls of women to the Elysian fields, abode of the blessed after death. It was customary in Greece for purple Irises to be planted on the graves of women in honor of her task.

Her symbol and staff  is two intertwined snakes and besides being the goddess of the rainbow Iris was also a faithful servant and messenger to both her mistress Hera and the other Olympian gods, being one of the few Olympians that could travel to and from the underworld with messages.

Custom decoratve field tile

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As well as all the decorative carved tiles and borders, we also do custom shaped field tile that is 'fitted' to various projects. For instance when designing this hearth John shaped the tiles to fit the space exactly and radiate in a curve,  keeping with the style of the insert and 6x6 art deco knot tiles across the top. We reproduced one row of tiles in the front to match some of the detail on the fire place. 

Decorative relief carved ceramic tree tile

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6x6 relief carved Celtic ceramic tree tile

The worship of one of man kinds most potent symbols, the tree was widespread in nearly all parts of the world where they grew. They are the embodiment of life where the heavens, earth and water unite and an axis around which the universe is organized. Believed to be infused with an abundance of divine creative energy, forests came to symbolize mystery and transformation.

In the Druid calendar January 25th to February 3rd is represented by the cypress tree. A very long lived evergreen cultivated since pre historic times for it's fragrant wood, the cypress has long been associated with the protective aspect of death and garlands and wreathes of it's branches represent eternal life. Know by the ancient Greeks and Romans as the 'mournful tree', sacred to rulers of the underworld and their associates, It was customary at funerals for mourners to carry sprigs of cypress as a sign of respect to those gods and goddesses. There was a story that the tree was named after a favorite of Apollo, Kyparissos, who after accidentally slaying Apollos beloved stag, remorsefully asked the gods to punish him with everlasting gloom. They granted his wish and turned him into a cypress tree. Linked to the elemental earth, the cypress tree is strongly connected to Cybele, the Phrygion goddess of earth, caves and wild animals. But despite the many sorrowful aspects of the cypress it also represents life after death and it's fragrance is said to ease emotional transitions that are a part of life, helping to lift the spirit out of the introspection of grieving and back into the light,  reminding us, in the words of Chief Seattle 'There is no death, only a change of worlds'

Decorative relief carved ceramic frog and fern tile

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6x12 Relief carved, hand painted ceramic frog and fern tile.

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For thousands of years frogs and toads have lived in the stories and myth of almost every human culture, taking on almost every conceivable role. From the devil to the trickster to the mother of the universe. Unfortunately some folklore surrounding them is negative, especially lore based in Medieval Europe where in the eyes of most Christian religions of the day frogs and toads were typically thought of as evil, demonic creatures who possessed witches spirits. Such folklore was the result of inquisition propaganda and did not reflect earlier Pagan beliefs, which were more in keeping with many other cultures that have and still do view amphibians in a more positive light, relating them to good fortune, protection, fertility and more.

In Egyptian mythology the frog goddess Heket was a very important figure associated with matters of fertility and pregnancy. Working together with her husband, the creator Khunm, Heket was believed to give all creatures the breath of life before they were placed in the womb. In many ancient Chinese legends the toad is a trickster and magician, but also the keeper of the powerful secrets of the world and immortality.

Many tribes of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica worshiped a goddess that took the form of a frog with many udders. Her name was Ceneotl and much like the Egyptian goddess Heket she presided over fertility and childbirth. Frogs were also considered spirits of rain. The Aymara tribe of Peru and Bolivia fashioned small frog images which they placed on hill tops to call down the rain. Early Aztecs saw the toad as the earth mother goddess Tlaltecunti who embodied the endless cycle of death and re-birth.

The life cycle of frogs and toads involves at least one major transformation from tadpole to adult and many species also shed and eat their skin as they grow. This may well explain why so many cultures see frogs as a symbol of creation and transformation. In the most famous frog tale in Western culture, 'The Frog Prince' the frog is depicted as a master of transformation. In earlier variations of this story the frog or toad is a woman.

Frogs and toads have been our companions on earth for countless centuries and the human imagination with it's need for meaning and hunger for stories casts and re-casts them as a major character in the story of the world. But their numbers diminish and we hear less and less from these companions. What richness our stories will loose if we stop hearing their voices and their spirit is lost.