mobius

Flickr photos - Catherine Tutter

 

Thirteen Tribes, Ten Sephirot, Chai <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mobiusorg/6539278911" target="_blank">(view photo on flickr.com)</a> <br /><span class="description">Photo:© George Bouret (2011)- The original design of the Torah mantle&#039;s Tree of Life was to include twelve pomegranates - one for each of Jacob&#039;s sons who went on to lead the Tribes of Israel. Rabbi Liza Stern of Congregation Eitz Chayim suggested the inclusion of a thirteenth pomegranate for Dina, Jacob&#039;s only daughter (see detail image, Dina&#039;s Pomegranate). Ten mother-of-pearl buttons were chosen for this portion of the design, inspired by the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. Kabbalists believe the Tree of Life to be a diagrammatic representation of the process by which the Universe came into being. The earliest text to which the sages refer to the ten sephirot is Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Creation). One interpretation is that the sephirot are intangible, and yet serve to bind the structure of the world together. The leaves shown here number eighteen, the numerical equivalent of the Hebrew word &#039;chai&#039;, meaning &#039;life.&#039;</span>Four Species of Sukkot <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mobiusorg/6539278623" target="_blank">(view photo on flickr.com)</a> <br /><span class="description">Photo:© George Bouret (2011)- I refer here to the four plant species associated with the festival Sukkot, agricultural in origin. These species are variously interpreted to align with human traits of character and the physical body. Shown here, from left to right, are my stitched evocations of the four species: willow leaves (the mouth, or the lips); myrtle leaves (the eye); date palm frond (the spine, articulated in a straight vertical line with gold metallic yarn); and citron fruit (the heart, not executed as a literal image, but rather, alluded to by its location - a padded, raised area joining roots and trunk, below and above the earth, a container for the Hebrew text &#039;She is a Tree of Life.&#039;</span>Root Buttons and Willow Leaves <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mobiusorg/6524128985" target="_blank">(view photo on flickr.com)</a> <br /><span class="description">Photo:© George Bouret (2011)- The bifurcating roots of the tree are divided into four sets of mother-of-pearl buttons, each set of buttons numbering seven. Myriad symbolic interpretations exist for both numbers in Judaism. As I came to understand this particular Torah mantle as a feminine-gendered garment, I think of the number four as representing the Matriarchs of Judaism: Sarah, Rebecca, Leah, and Rachel. My thought to group seven buttons in each set was to mirror the seven days of the week, in particular the seventh day, the Sabbath, as a celebration of Creation and entry into sacred time.The willow leaves shown here, one for each mother-of-pearl button, represent &#039;the mouth&#039;, or as some interpret, &#039;the lips, as a member of the four species of the festival Sukkot.</span>The 613 Mitzvot <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mobiusorg/6524128257" target="_blank">(view photo on flickr.com)</a> <br /><span class="description">Photo:© George Bouret (2011)- Each of the thirteen pomegranates on the Torah mantle contain a grouping of exposed seeds, inspired by this depiction of a pomegranate on 16th century Dutch tile. I articulated the seeds by embroidering French knots that number 613 as an aggregate total, enumerating the number of mitzvot (Jewish laws). The rabbinic tradition interprets the mitzvot as containing 365 negative commandments corresponding to the days in the solar year, and 248 positive commandments corresponding to the parts of the human body. In order to keep accurate count of the number of knots, I printed out Maimonides&#039; classification of the 613 laws, enunciated each one before sewing the knot, and checked it off the list when the knot was completed. </span>Torah Mantle Dome <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mobiusorg/6523950407" target="_blank">(view photo on flickr.com)</a> <br /><span class="description">Photo:© George Bouret (2011)- The wooden finials of the Torah scroll are thought to be the &#039;atzei chayim&#039; – the &#039;trees of life&#039; – used to roll the parchment. The structural cap of the mantle resting on the wheels of the scroll is domed in the tradition of Sephardic Torah mantles. Here I was inspired to evoke the celestial firmament using metallic beads and tiny paillettes to articulate sun, moon and stars.</span>Miriam's Well, detail <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mobiusorg/6523947415" target="_blank">(view photo on flickr.com)</a> <br /><span class="description">Photo:© George Bouret (2011)- Mother-of-pearl buttons from my personal collection were put out for display, chosen by Eitz Chayim congregants, and collected in a tambourine carried by Rabbi Liza Stern at a Purim celebration in 2009. Mother-of-pearl as a material has meaning in this context, dangling as it does from the bottom and sides of Miriam&#039;s Well, as it originates from oceans and rivers.</span>Miriam's Well <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mobiusorg/6523948151" target="_blank">(view photo on flickr.com)</a> <br /><span class="description">Photo:© George Bouret (2011)- The stars of the celestial firmament on the dome of the Torah mantle flow down this hanging panel that partially conceals the opening flap at the back. As a garment detail, the panel was inspired by forms of ceremonial headress. Symbolically, it illustrates the biblical myth of Miriam&#039;s Well. Shown here are the life-sustaining waters contained by the enchanted well that followed the Jews as they wandered in the desert for forty years, which I illustrated with forty lines of couched metallic threads.</span>She is a Tree of Life <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mobiusorg/6523949887" target="_blank">(view photo on flickr.com)</a> <br /><span class="description">Photo:© George Bouret (2011)- The Hebrew shown here translates as &#039;She is a Tree of Life.&#039; In the book of Proverbs, the tree of life is a metaphor for the life of wisdom, &#039;chokhmah&#039;. The Hebrew itself is feminine-gendered.</span>Congregation Eitz Chayim Torah Mantle, removed from the scroll <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mobiusorg/6523945107" target="_blank">(view photo on flickr.com)</a> <br /><span class="description">Photo:© George Bouret (2011) - The recitation of weekly Torah portions on the Sabbath involves the physical removal of the scroll from the Ark. The person designated for the task of both &#039;undressing&#039; the scroll in preparation for the reading, and subsequently &#039;dressing&#039; the scroll upon the completion of recitation is called a &#039;gelilah.&#039; In the interim period of recitation the scroll rests on a large table called a &#039;bimah&#039; and the Torah mantle, in some congregations, is placed on a special stand. The stand shown here is hand-constructed from walnut by David Cane, a long-time congregant.</span>Simchat Torah celebration at Tremont Street Shul, Cambridge, MA (2011) <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mobiusorg/6310288172" target="_blank">(view photo on flickr.com)</a> <br /><span class="description">Following my presentation of the completed Torah mantle to Congregation Eitz Chayim on Simchat Torah (October 2011), a small group of us processed with our newly-dressed Torah to Tremont Street Shul to join this community in its public celebration. Video footage was taken by Mobius Artist Group member Margaret Bellafiore.</span>Dina's pomegranate <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mobiusorg/6523948953" target="_blank">(view photo on flickr.com)</a> <br /><span class="description">Photo:© George Bouret (2011)- Rabbi Liza Stern of Congregation Eitz Chayim is credited for my inclusion of a thirteenth pomegranate on the mantle&#039;s Tree of Life - for Dina, Jacob&#039;s only daughter. Dina may or may not have led her own tribe, as did her twelve brothers - but we chose to acknowledge her as a noteworthy biblical figure deserving a prominent place in the design. Dina&#039;s pomegranate sits at the highest point of the tree. I chose a vibrant yellow bead used nowhere else on the Torah mantle to encircle the seeds of her pomegranate.</span>Congregation Eitz Chayim Torah mantle, dressing the scroll <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mobiusorg/6523944653" target="_blank">(view photo on flickr.com)</a> <br /><span class="description">Photo:© George Bouret (2011) - The central image emblazoned on this Torah mantle embeds multiple symbolic motifs and evokes the name of its congregation, Eitz Chayim, meaning &#039;Tree of Life.&#039; Image details in this photo collection elaborate on the meaning and interpretation of the various elements of the design. I worked on the mantle over several years&#039; time and presented it to the congregation at Simchat Torah in October 2011. Congregants were invited to choose mother-of-pearl buttons from my personal collection that I incorporated into the design of the mantle. The early fabrication period of the mantle inspired a parallel project in which I engaged over forty congregants in the collective weaving of a Torah binder, or &#039;wimpel&#039; - a distinct ritual textile that emerged in 17th century Germany to securely bind the scrolls together.Torah mantles are characterized as &#039;klei kodesh&#039;, &#039;implements of holiness.&#039; The opportunity to create a ritual object functioning as part of a living religious tradition, one with ancient roots, is an important milestone in my life as an artist.</span>Torah procession stop at Mobius, Cambridge, MA <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mobiusorg/6323892400" target="_blank">(view photo on flickr.com)</a> <br /><span class="description">Following my presentation of the completed Torah mantle to Congregation Eitz Chayim on Simchat Torah (October 2011), a small group of us processed with our newly-dressed Torah to Tremont Street Shul to join this community in its public celebration. We stopped along the way at Mobius, for the opening of Mementor Mori, curated by El Putnam. This video shows my friend Pattie Heyman protectively cradling the Torah. Video footage was taken by Mobius Artist Group member Margaret Bellafiore.</span>Torah procession stop at Mobius, Cambridge, MA (2011) <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mobiusorg/6323896294" target="_blank">(view photo on flickr.com)</a> <br /><span class="description">Following my presentation of the completed Torah mantle to Congregation Eitz Chayim on Simchat Torah (October 2011), a small group of us processed with our newly-dressed Torah to Tremont Street Shul to join this community in its public celebration. We made a stop at Mobius for the opening of Memento Mori, curated by El Putnam. Here I am holding the newly-dressed Torah. To my immediate left is Rabbi Liza Stern. Photo by Jed Speare. </span>Presentation of Torah Mantle to Congregation Eitz Chayim, Cambridge, MA <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mobiusorg/6310256808" target="_blank">(view photo on flickr.com)</a> <br /><span class="description">This video footage was taken by Mobius Artist Group member Margaret Bellafiore. It captures the joy we all felt to have the Torah mantle brought into the community and my personal sense of accomplishment as I danced with the Torah in our intimate sanctuary on Magazine Street.</span>Spin and Weave a Jewish Yarn (2009-2010) <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mobiusorg/5410506041" target="_blank">(view photo on flickr.com)</a> <br /><span class="description">Photo: © George Bouret (2010) -Completed Torah binder, 10 inches by 96 inches (detail). Individual narratives are discerned from one to the next with variations in weight and density. Together they constitute a contemporary grand narrative literally embracing the ancient story. Torah binders (also known as wimpels) are ritual textiles originating in 17th century Germany. The textile is unbound from the Torah by a designated congregant (gelilah) in preparation for the ritual recitation of Torah text (parsha). This congregational wimpel incorporates a total of forty-four individual narratives, spun from paper and woven on a rigid heddle loom. </span>