The “Mount Horeb” Tallit is now on Will’s loom, and will soon join two other new Tallit offerings on our Etsy and Amazon sites. Available with hand tied tzitzits.
Have you ever wondered what the sound of Bach looks like? No, not on an oscilloscope, but in the rich colors of woven cloth, in a way that works just like sheet music?
You’ve probably seen me post before about the connection between music and weaving – the similarities between sheet music and weaving graphs. My first [project was a portrayal of Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major. Next was the Czech National Anthem, a gift for my first violin teacher, Lucie Carlson.
Here we have Passacaglia in C minor for organ, by Johann Sebastian Bach. Each of the colors represents a different note, and the width of the bands indicates the time value of the note. If you have the key to the colors, you can play this scarf just like sheet music.
In woven fabric, this is what the sound of Bach Looks like, the first 40 measures or so. It begins and ends with the opening on the bass pedals. Listen below:
An important part of Ephods & Pomegranates is our Woven Judaica line by Will, including Tallits (prayer shawls,) Challah Covers, and more. Tallits are usually a special order item, but these three are currently in stock in our Etsy Shop.
My first venture into the art of the handweaving of Baroque music on a loom is complete. I am willing to bet that, unless you have been following this blog, you have never seen anything like it.
The horizontal color bands on the scarf are actually the musical score of the beginning theme from Piano Sonata No. 11 in A Major (for violin) by W. A. Mozart. Over my right shoulder it reads from bottom to top; over my left shoulder from top to bottom. The color indicates the note, the width of the bar indicates the length of the note. A wide black bar separates measures; a narrow black bar separates notes.
Thus, the first measure (top left, just under the violin) is a dotted quarter note B, an eighth note C, and a quarter note B. The final measure (bottom left or top right) is a whole G. You can play by reading the scarf just like a musical score.
The plaid effect comes from the multi-colored warp. The warp threads are arranged in the Fibonacci Series of numbers (1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21 – then back down again. In the center is a single narrow Golden thread, which signifies the Golden Mean. Golden Mean is another name for the “Golden Section, or Golden Ratio,” the division of a line so that the whole is to the greater part as that part is to the smaller part (i.e., in a ratio of 1 to 1/2 (√5 + 1)), a proportion that is considered to be particularly pleasing to the eye. It is the basic concept in esthetically pleasing architecture, and the foundation of Sacred Geometry, used in the construction of the great Cathedrals and the Jerusalem Temple. It is a ration that exists everywhere in nature, for example the spiral shell of the nautilus.
The Golden Section has great significance in many Gnostic traditions, including esoteric expressions of Freemasonry. And Mozart was indeed a Freemason, as am I.
The point of the project is the close relationship between musical scores and weaving graphs. The weaver and the musician are one; a genuine meeting of the Bow and Shuttle.
If you are curious, here is what the scarf “sounds like” when “played” on a piano:
The scarf is woven of mercerized cotton, and is about 8′ long by 6″ wide.
I have two Personal Prayer Stoles currently available – they are about 62″ v 4.25″, made of mercerized cotton. They are for everyone – not just clergy, and a wonderful way to wrap your own sacred space around you for prayer, wherever you are.
Price: $35.00 each plus $7.50 shipping in the U.S.
A great variation on our Personal Prayer Stole is the
De Colores Prayer Stole for Cursillistas, Spiritual Directors, and Clergy supporting the Cursillo Movement in the Churches!
Like all our Personal Prayer Stoles, these are about 60″ long by 4.25″ wide. They are small enough not to be confused with a clergy stole, and to be portable enough to carry along and create a personal prayer space wherever you are. Special De Colores Prayer Card (show at left) included.
These make great gifts for new Cursillistas and Old Timers alike!
Our Personal Prayer Stoles are not just for Seminarians, and certainly not just for Clergy.
They are a personal prayer garment for anyone who likes to create a sanctified personal prayer space – one they can take with them wherever they go. But because the design is so versatile, we’ve decided to offer the idea of “Seminarian” Prayer Stoles – not because Seminarians are more likely to be devout, but because we know from experience that Seminarians are frequently in need of prayer!
Our personal prayer stoles are about 60″ long by 4.25″ wide: small enough that they cannot be confused with a standard clergy Eucharistic stole, and can be quite portable – useful wherever you wish to pause for prayer. They are a smaller and less expensive version of our larger prayer shawls. They can be ordered in custom colors. Our “Seminarian” line, shown here, is certainly “unofficial,” not endorsed by any of the seminaries. But we have chosen colors suggested by each of the seminary seals. The association with any educational institution is ours alone, but you might like to have a Seminarian Prayer Stole whose colors suggest your school: