This was a great discovery. The more I looked and cleaned and restored the more I discovered about the piece and its history.
The owl at the top is a popular symbol. It has developed a complex meaning over a millennium of use. An owl is to the night as an eagle is to the day. Owls are generally a symbol of paranormal wisdom, regal silence, and have a fierce intelligence.
The owl has connections with a lot of different beliefs, let’s have a look at a few.
Fertility
In ancient Celtic beliefs if a pregnant woman saw an owl she believed that she would have an easy birth. When I heard this I decided to do a bit of digging and find out the reason for this connection. The owl is nocturnal so it is in sync with the moon. The moon has a monthly cycle so this was the connection between a woman’s fertility and owls.
Wisdom and Knowledge
Both the ancient Greeks and Romans had this in Common.
The ancient Greeks had the Goddess Athena. She is associated with wisdom, handicraft, and warfare or strategy. Although the exact reason for the owl is uncertain, some historians believe that the owl sat on her blind side effectively giving her greater sight which has been defined as the ‘whole truth’.
The owl is often found on French traditional pediments but this one is special because of the details. In the centre rather than a simple shape this one has wonderful handcrafted beading around it. Additionally, around the eyes and for the tail, there are lovely feather details that create a fabulous tactility to the piece. Underneath the owl the creator has added a delicate design based on feathers. The whole piece is not only wonderful to look at but it is amazing to touch and one can sense the love and skill used to create this masterpiece a couple of hundred years ago.
