Title
Ostrich egg carved
Identifier
ABDUA:85144
Description
Ostrich egg, carved with symbols and a monogram in memory of the death of James VIII and III. The lettering of the inscription is recognisably Scottish as is the drawing of the symbols, but the other work, especially the stylised flowering trees, would seem to belong to a West African decorative tradition.
- The first symbol is of a crowned thistle: this has a long history in Scotland and conveys the idea of Scotland as an independent monarchy, going back to remotest antiquity. In the Jacobite version Scottish history, the Stuart monarchs are representatives of an unbroken line stretching back to the mythical Fergus.
- The second Symbol is a crowned heart pierced with arrows: the pierced heart is a conventional representation of suffering within Catholic symbolism, here the fact that the heart is crowned suggests that it represents the sufferings of the king in exile.
- The third symbol is the most enigmatic: a sheaf of corn with birds perching on it. The birds themselves may indicate no more than that the corn is ripe and the grain is ready to be eaten. The symbol of the sheaf itself may go back to a symbolic tradition whereby the ripe harvest represents a monarch ripe in wisdom. There is an added secret meaning of the kind in which the Jacobites delighted: the Latin for "ripe corn" is "matura arista" which is anagram of "Maria Stuarta". There are several instances of this anagram being used in the seventeenth century.
- The first symbol is of a crowned thistle: this has a long history in Scotland and conveys the idea of Scotland as an independent monarchy, going back to remotest antiquity. In the Jacobite version Scottish history, the Stuart monarchs are representatives of an unbroken line stretching back to the mythical Fergus.
- The second Symbol is a crowned heart pierced with arrows: the pierced heart is a conventional representation of suffering within Catholic symbolism, here the fact that the heart is crowned suggests that it represents the sufferings of the king in exile.
- The third symbol is the most enigmatic: a sheaf of corn with birds perching on it. The birds themselves may indicate no more than that the corn is ripe and the grain is ready to be eaten. The symbol of the sheaf itself may go back to a symbolic tradition whereby the ripe harvest represents a monarch ripe in wisdom. There is an added secret meaning of the kind in which the Jacobites delighted: the Latin for "ripe corn" is "matura arista" which is anagram of "Maria Stuarta". There are several instances of this anagram being used in the seventeenth century.
The object was displayed in the first exhibition ('100 Curiosities') at King's Museum which opened in April 2011. The object was also included in the 'Rebels with a Cause' exhibition shown initially at Holyrood (Scottish Parliament), Oct 2010 - Jan 2011, then later at the New Library, University of Aberdeen, Nov 2011- Mar 2012 (opening exhibition). The exhibition featured items from Marischal Museum and Special Collections.
Provenance unknown.
Provenance unknown.
Date
1766
James Francis Edward Stuart died in Rome on 1 January 1766, and this carved egg would seem to have been commissioned as a memorial object for him.
Creator
Probably West African carver working with a Scottish client
UUID
4dd8c014-b997-454e-bd03-8f77a4b9ccec
