Before Christmas 2017, I was busy sourcing materials for two upcoming projects and waiting for them to come in the mail. I was also waiting for Christmas day to open my gift of maker's tools that I knew was under the tree. I did not want to start on a totally different project, and so decided to inventory of my Rus' Accessory box. I had this set of faux Ryasni. They were my very first set and I had worn them all the time in my early years in the SCA. I had not however but not worn them in recent years. I decided to do a really quick revamp using pearls.
First try at making a pearl surround Kolt looked like this. It was pretty and I liked it. But it was a bit fussy and a lot messy. So, I took it apart and started again.
These extant pieces became my inspiration. You can find a very nice description of Ryasny on this Website http://web-kapiche.ru/342-ryasny.html. (I use Google Translate to read these informative Russian sites)
These are dated to pre-mongol invasion, so about 12th Century to the first quarter of the 13th century. This site talks about dating of old Rus' Ryasny http://www.old-jewellery.nw.ru/ubor/reasna.htm
This is a very detailed site about craftsmanship and symbolism in old Rus' Jewelry.
http://rudocs.exdat.com/docs/index-9751.html
This is my second "cleaner" go at it. Not so fussy either. I needed something for the center and thought to try one of those glass globs that you get in the florist section of most crafting stores.
Next, I cut some brass embossing foil to make prongs for the jewel. Basically, it started as a circle. I cut into the circle to make eight prongs. The jewel is totally backed in brass foil and the little prongs are bent up to hug it.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Here, I am thinking about pieces I've seen that have an outer ring of beads and I'm fiddling my layout to see what might look nice. I like the gold and silver together on the extant piece on the left. I understand the Jewelers used gold and silver together like this to add twinkle and bling. The extant piece on the right has an interesting pearl wrap that I've seen on other pieces as well. I'm trying it out.
Final arrangement for the Kolt.
Next, I wanted a piece for attaching the Kolt to the chains. After a bit of pinteresting, I found this extant roman piece that I thought I could make a wired copy of.
And just to show that they did the technique in period, this is an image of ancient Roman Wire Wrapping.
There were manufacturing problems trying to make the chains all exactly the same length and they would not hang properly when the element was between the chains and the Kolt. Thus, these elements ended up being at the top of the chains rather than at the bottom attaching the Kolt. In this photo, the center red jewel is missing from the Kolt because I had not fastened it permanently in yet and it would not stay in while the piece was hanging.
Some historical Information
From http://web-kapiche.ru/342-ryasny.html
From: http://rudocs.exdat.com/docs/index-9751.html
I like to try and parallel ancient symbolism - with living today in the Kingdom of An Tir.
The Ryasny I am building are for a member of the order of the Pelican to wear (It could also be worn by a Pelican's protege who is a member of the Order of the Goutte de Sang) This is the "Tribe" I am designating.
The Pearls - mainly copy the opulence of the Ancient Rus'.
The Ryasny (rain chains) also contain the drop of blood (gouttes de Sang) that the Pelican in her Piety offer to her children, offer to the world (a gift of fertility, germination, nourishing).
The fish are the symbols of the Pelican's proteges. Those she teaches to serve after her.
On the Kolt, is a large single Goutte de Sang - the symbol of service. This is the guardian of the dream. This is the rock upon which the dream is built.
After the very first day of working on these, I knew that I would be gifting them to a friend. She was my inspiration and muse while the work continued. This picture shows the Ryasny displayed with my hat which I did not want to give away. They need a hat of their own!
First try at making a pearl surround Kolt looked like this. It was pretty and I liked it. But it was a bit fussy and a lot messy. So, I took it apart and started again.
 |
| First Try |
_____________________________________________________
These extant pieces became my inspiration. You can find a very nice description of Ryasny on this Website http://web-kapiche.ru/342-ryasny.html. (I use Google Translate to read these informative Russian sites)
These are dated to pre-mongol invasion, so about 12th Century to the first quarter of the 13th century. This site talks about dating of old Rus' Ryasny http://www.old-jewellery.nw.ru/ubor/reasna.htm
This is a very detailed site about craftsmanship and symbolism in old Rus' Jewelry.
http://rudocs.exdat.com/docs/index-9751.html
____________________________________
This is my second "cleaner" go at it. Not so fussy either. I needed something for the center and thought to try one of those glass globs that you get in the florist section of most crafting stores.
Next, I cut some brass embossing foil to make prongs for the jewel. Basically, it started as a circle. I cut into the circle to make eight prongs. The jewel is totally backed in brass foil and the little prongs are bent up to hug it.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Final arrangement for the Kolt.
 |
| Final arrangement of the Kolt |
_______________________________________________
Next, I wanted a piece for attaching the Kolt to the chains. After a bit of pinteresting, I found this extant roman piece that I thought I could make a wired copy of.
_______________________________________________
There were manufacturing problems trying to make the chains all exactly the same length and they would not hang properly when the element was between the chains and the Kolt. Thus, these elements ended up being at the top of the chains rather than at the bottom attaching the Kolt. In this photo, the center red jewel is missing from the Kolt because I had not fastened it permanently in yet and it would not stay in while the piece was hanging.
_________________________________________________
Some historical Information
From http://web-kapiche.ru/342-ryasny.html
"Ryasny is one of the most
widespread ancient Russian ornaments. The ryasnyas look like pendants that are
attached to the headdress or ochel. As a rule, crocks are located on two sides
- left and right - in the area of the temples. In its significance and location
are similar to [the] Old Russian ornaments - temporal rings.... ....A characteristic
element of the found jewelry-pendants were Kolts which were attached to the
very tip of the hangers... ...The bulk of findings of this kind of jewelry
[were] found in Moscow, Novgorod, Kiev, Chernigov, Ryazan. As images on crocks
there are a variety of symbols, ornaments and drawings: symbols of fertility,
germinating grains and plants, flowers, as well as birds that walk on the
ground. All this suggests that the cassocks served the Old Russian women not
only as decoration, but also had a special sacred meaning.
In ancient Russia clothing could
designate the whole world. The headdress was decorated with birds and symbols
of the sky, as the headdress is an allegory of the heavenly world. Below the
headdress of a woman... ...Pendant-ryasnye bear the role of the allegory of
rain, that is, the symbol of the fertilization of breads, plants. That is why
grains, sprouts, adult plants, flowers, as well as birds are used as images on
crocks. Rain texture was repeated using artificial bulges or the same beads and
beads. Even lower - at the level of the chest and abdomen - depicts the
allegorical world of the earth, and on the feet - the underworld.”
From: http://rudocs.exdat.com/docs/index-9751.html
"In Russia, the appearance of
colts gave impetus to the creation of several types of dresses, and for the crocheting
to the headdress, several versions of pendants appeared - cassocks, filled with
colts in the same style. The rhinestones are metal temporal pendants attached
to the headdress or bandage-eyepiece, descending to the sides of the face and
serving either as an independent decoration, or as precious ribbons for hanging
the colts. Suspended vertically, they give the impression of pouring rainwater,
as they are separated by small dashes and depressions.
Ryasny went down to the shoulders
or to the waist. They were not only a guardian, but also a kind of passport, as
the animal figures on the crocks pointed to the tribal belonging."
I like to try and parallel ancient symbolism - with living today in the Kingdom of An Tir.
The Ryasny I am building are for a member of the order of the Pelican to wear (It could also be worn by a Pelican's protege who is a member of the Order of the Goutte de Sang) This is the "Tribe" I am designating.
The Pearls - mainly copy the opulence of the Ancient Rus'.
The Ryasny (rain chains) also contain the drop of blood (gouttes de Sang) that the Pelican in her Piety offer to her children, offer to the world (a gift of fertility, germination, nourishing).
The fish are the symbols of the Pelican's proteges. Those she teaches to serve after her.
On the Kolt, is a large single Goutte de Sang - the symbol of service. This is the guardian of the dream. This is the rock upon which the dream is built.
After the very first day of working on these, I knew that I would be gifting them to a friend. She was my inspiration and muse while the work continued. This picture shows the Ryasny displayed with my hat which I did not want to give away. They need a hat of their own!
Next up - Making the Red Hat
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