The Lonely God

(2011), 2"x3.5" for the pendant; silver clay (carved, fired, enameled, antiqued, polished and burnished), silver bezel wire, silver wire, vitreous enamel (turquoise and violet), shimmerstone, silver beads, gem beads (citrine, dark and light amethyst, London topaz, topaz), citrine briolette bead, fireline, silver clasp finding

I have been kicking around the idea of making a wearable version of the Egyptian Aten for a while, and a few days ago the color scheme for the piece finally clicked. I combined one of the shimmerstones made for me a while ago with a mix of turquoise and violet enamel for a truly dramatic effect and combined this with gemstones in the same sequence of color.

I have a strong affinity to fire and the sun, and so I have always been intrigued by the brief episode in Egyptian history where pharaoh Echnaten established the monotheistic belief in the sun-disk as the only and supreme deity. After the colorful pantheon of Egyptian gods had been abolished, the Aten must have felt a lonely god, so while he stretches out his rays in benediction, he also weeps one single golden tear for the fanatical dedication that first gave birth to him and then as fervently sought to eradicate his memory forever.

I also have to thank for a wonderful comments exchange here on DA a while ago over her brilliant portrait of Echnaten that first sparked my interest in doing something including jewelry design and the Aten.