15.1.13

gold




I seem to have moved from a silver phase, into gold.

It's been happening for a while - subtly - but last December, when I was at a church Christmas sale thingy with the Mum-in-Law in Herefordshire, my eye was drawn to something sparkly and golden: a chain choker, the scale of the one shown here on Rhiannon. It cost something like £4, and the woman who sold it to me told us a lovely story about going with her late husband, to Egypt, and the man who sold it to THEM said it was real 'Egyptian gold'.

It's light as a feather - which is a plus for me if I'm wearing it round my neck (I don't do necklaces, as a rule, and especially not 'statement necklaces'. Pearls - a gift from my husband before we were married - is about as heavy as I like to go. Same reason I don't usually do turtle necks. And even the work choker makes me feel.. you know). I'm usually more of a bangles girl - I don't at all mind the danglingness around my wrists -  but this gold chain - and the story - caught my imagination. I pictured them knowing it wasn't real - or wanting to believe it was - and then paying a small fee, gong off with their treasure, knowing they'd made the man who sold it to them happy that he'd got away with something. Everyone won.

And then they packed it in their bag, and it left Egypt, and found its way to a church in rural England.

And I'm finding now, I'm drawn to it, and to all things gold -  just as I'm drawn to golden light.

There was a great show on recently, on the BBC, called the History of Art in Three Colours. If I hurry I'll catch my favourite colour, Blue. But the first- which I found fascinating - Gold, is gone. I'm fascinated with the idea that ancient civilisations believed that wearing gold - not as accessories, but we're talking sheaths of it, top to bottom - would protect them from the Gods in the sky. I read this at a little museum at the top of the World Trade Centre - the one time I ever went - and it always stayed with me. Because they also said that scientists have discovered that wearing told as a protective suit is the best ways to block out radioactive rays. For example, in case of nuclear attack.

But also, it looks really good with a tan, and - more than black, which is nice too - I really love the way my gold chain looks with a soft grey jumper.

1 comment:

ODYSSEY said...

Gold IS nice with tanned skin. Maybe you'll do a post, you wearing the necklace?
Cute girls.
You don't wear turtlenecks? I love them. In black.