Extraordinary Theory of Objects (15 page)

Wax bodies also served as a fetish for the bizarre. When entertaining, the Marchesa Casati is said to have set places for wax mannequins at dinner parties, including tragic figures like the murdered Baroness Mary Vetsera.

 

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In French, scallops are known as
coquilles
, while their Latin name is
pecten
, meaning “comb.” The ridged shell of the creature has come to represent the fervor of dedicated pilgrims making their way to Santiago de Compostela, known as the Way of Saint James. At the end of this Roman trade route, it is believed that when Saint James's body was being moved, a horse fell in the water and washed ashore unharmed and covered in scallops. The shells are not only symbolic but also practical in that pilgrims used them to scoop just enough food or water from offerings to sustain them along the journey. The scallop's primary enemy is the starfish, also parasitic sea creatures like barnacles or worms, which may weigh down the skilled swimmers.

 

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Human adornment began not only out of a need for beauty but also for charmed protection. The ancient Egyptians wore rings of cut stone scarabs attached to the finger with fine gold wire. Ancient Romans exchanged signet rings as symbols of brotherhood and allegiance, often carnelians or garnets carved with official seals used in correspondence. The sixteenth century brought memento mori jewelry, reminders of mortality. In the following century, rings also commemorated the lives of the beloved who had passed away, some bearing ciphers or hair of the lost. In the eighteenth century, rings began to depict sepia painted urns or other morbid scenes. And along with new archaeological advances came the revival of interest in ancient Greece and Rome. The most privileged were able to obtain actual ancient stones. Sigmund Freud liked to present
A.D.
first-century Roman gifts to colleagues, while those with lesser means turned to James Tassie to make alternatives in paste known as “Tassies.” Posy rings were named for the poems inscribed inside the band for one's beloved. Regards language also became popular, in which the first letter of a stone—often the same in French and English—would be used to spell out a message.
Regard
(ruby, emerald, garnet, amethyst, ruby, and diamond, as example).
Love
would be lapis lazuli, opal, vermeil (the ancient name for a type of garnet), and emerald.