[MR] St BARBARA Project (KASF 2009) - Something new and interesting for our Artisans. (Long)]

[Martha Wallenhorst]

 I know all the techniques for the icon and will make one but I would like
to find someone or someones whom would like to take on the other two
challenges.  I am excited about this and already have the wood for the
painting.  It is period German beech and sheet I have may be big enough to
line the inside of the box.  I was saving it for an altar piece but this too
cool to pass up.  I also have the gold and silver if the other
person/persons want to make sure that all the gilt matches.
Please Let me know,
Annejke


Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply.
Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.


-----Original Message-----
From: atlantia-bounces at atlantia.sca.org
[mailto:atlantia-bounces at atlantia.sca.org] On Behalf Of
chagankhulan at clan-whitewing.org
Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2008 9:08 PM
To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org; pearls at atlantia.sca.org
Subject: [MR] St BARBARA Project (KASF 2009) - Something new and interesting
for our Artisans. (Long)]

Greetings Atlantia,

    Below is the announcement for a new competition to be held at KASF 2009.
Kindly share it with any who you feel would be interested.

Chagan,
Autocrat, KASF 2009

** Apologies for any duplicate sendings as well as an earlier ill-fated
attempt at sending this out. ***


Subject:  THE ST. BARBARA PROJECT
Deadline:  March 7, 2009
 
Dear Artisans of the Kingdom of Atlantia,
 
We have been offered the chance of a Medieval lifetime - Father John Vass
representing Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church (Baltimore, MD) has
requested that a contest be held to craft a holder in the Medieval style for
two of their most sacred objects, both related to their patron saint, St.
Barbara of the Tower.  I have agreed to sponsor this contest and judging
will take place at the 2009 Kingdom Arts and Sciences Festival.
 
The objects are her icon--a painting in the Russian Medieval style--which
has a silver halo crowning her head, and her relic, a bone sliver, which is
in a small closed silver box.  The holder crafted by an SCA artisan must
contain both these objects and will be lightweight, yet sturdy, as the set
must be carried in religious processions several times per year and both
must be visible to the congregation.  A permanent (but
cleanable) clear covering (glass or Plexiglas or some such material) will
protect both elements from the weather (non-Medieval but practical for
today's world).  At other times, the holder with the icon and the relic will
sit on a table in the nave of the church, to be always available to members
of the congregation for contemplative worship.  The holder may be wood or
metal or a combination of the two.  (More than one artisan may combine
skills to craft this object.)
 
The holder will be in a style within our time period although the martyr's
story takes place much earlier.  Now who was Saint Barbara?  You can find
her (sometimes contradictory) stories on the Internet.  To greatly shorten
the Medieval tale (as told in Father John's letter) of the martyr become a
saint, she lived in Syria during the reign of Rome's Emperor Maximiam
(305-311 AD).  She was a beautiful daughter in a rich pagan family.  To
protect her, her father had her live in a tower.  She looked out the windows
at the beautiful world and began to think of the creator of all the beauty.
Her father let her meet girlfriends; she met a priest and secretly was
baptized a Christian.  The father directed workmen to build a luxurious
marble bathhouse and to place two windows up high on the south side, then
left on a trip.  Barbara directed the men to add a third window, to form a
Trinity of light.  The father came back; Barbara admitted why she wanted the
third window; the father tortured her and finally beheaded her since he
could not make her renounce her Christianity.  Many miracles occurred with
the bath water and while Barbara was in vile duress.  In Wikipedia, I
learned her symbols are many, but especially is she connected to towers,
which includes masons who build them and artillerymen whose cannons knock
them down.
Father John, our church contact and a religious art historian, has provided
photographs of the two objects and of the inside of the church to show its
style.  The holder needs to fit in with the other religious objects. I will
forward the photos (.doc files) and his explanatory letter containing all
the specs (.pdf) to any interested person who will provide me with an email
address.  The Bright Hills Listserv does not accept attachments and I am
running into problems in posting them on our Yahoo Group photo page. I hope
to solve that problem later.  My email is:
Ingeborg_sca at yahoo.com.
 
THE CONTEST RULES:
* If at least a minimum of 3 SCA artisans will endeavor to create the holder
in a Russian Medieval style in time for judging at the 2009 Kingdom Arts and
Sciences Festival (the first Saturday in March at the Ag Center in
Westminster, MD), then Father John or his representative of Holy Trinity
Russian Orthodox Church will decide whether the crafted holder meets their
need.
* Artisans may join together in a team to jointly create this object if they
wish (such as woodworkers and metalworkers).
* If a holder is chosen by the church representative, then that object is
freely given to the church.  The church will provide the winning artist with
a letter (suitable proof for a tax donation) attesting to the artist having
crafted an object that will be used in their church on a daily basis, just
as was done in Medieval times by our ancestors.
* Documentation is required to show the object created is in the Medieval
style (with the exception of the "glass" cover over the 2 religious
objects), and meets the specifications in Father John's letter.  Basic
rules: The holder must hold both icon/painting (Inches:  16 1/2  H x 13
15/16 W x 1 1/2 D, plus silver halo 1/2" H) and silver relic box (2 1/2 W x
1 7/8 H x 1/2 D); be covered with glass or a glass-substitute, fit on the
church display table (30 W x 29 D), and be crafted light enough yet strong
enough to be carried in processions.)  See Father John's letter for all
details.
* The artist (or artists) must be present at KASF during the day to talk
with the church representative.
* Whether or not the object crafted is suitable for Holy Trinity, the artist
(or artists) will receive the prize I will give to the winner in recognition
of his or her artistry.
 Artists of the SCA -- Here is your chance for a little bit of immortality:
 
"...the beautiful icons that adorn our church and the many ones on display
during the festival represent for us not art, but "windows to heaven."
They invite us in to stand in the presence of God and be touched by His
Grace" -- Fr. John Vass, Pastor [bulletin for the 2008 Russian Festival]
 
Please pass this letter on to any crafts people you know that would find
this of interest.
 
Yours in Service,
 
Lady Ingeborg i Trondheim
Sponsor: St. Barbara Craft Project
The Barony of Bright Hills
Kingdom of Atlantia
Email: ingeborg_sca at yahoo.com