Exquisite 14k yellow gold wedding crown with thirty-five Australian opals by merry renk, titled "James Love Peacock"; this piece just returned from the traveling exhibit "Craft in America;" inside diameter of oval-shaped crown is about 7" (front to back) x 6-1/8" side to side; front peacock section is approximately 5-1/2" wide x 3-1/2" tall; whole piece is in fine condition and comes with original handmade pouch and box by merry renk.

About this crown, merry renk said, "In the twenty-five years, 1947-1972, I designed my jewelry following the ideas of modern constructivism and non-objective concepts.

I realized in 1972, that I needed to express other ideas concerning ecology, memories and family, using symbolic realism.  I was concerned about how we were poisoning our air and birds became a symbol.

I have always been fascinated with jewelry worn on the head and have made many hair combs.  I have walked the San Francisco zoo those years with my growing children where we often shared space with a male peacock with his tail fanned wide and dragging the ground as he stalked about for his peahen.

In 1978, I designed a comb called "Ebony Peacock" in silver, ebony and pearls.  In 1979, I made a gold comb  that I called "James Love Peacock." There was not much interest in this comb as the fashion of wearing combs at the opera, etc., was now passé.  When I made plans for a wedding crown exhibit at the Artisans Gallery in san Francisco, I moved the bird from the comb onto a circle of gold peacock feathers and I moved the name along with bird.

How did I name my crown, "James Love Peacock?" 

My desire was to honor my friend, the poet Carolyn Kizer, for her poem called "James Love Peacock."  When I was asked to send a copy of the poem to be exhibited along with the crown,  I was stunned to discover that I had a very creative memory.  I found that her poem was called "What Was in a Name" followed by "Thomas Love Peacock!"  "Thomas Love Peacock!" There was no James Love Peacock anywhere in her poem.

Nevertheless, I think it is still fair to say that a poem by Pulitzer Prize Winner Carolyn Kizer inspired the name for my wedding crown, "James Love Peacock."

Watch a video of merry renk's crowns on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCzkCy_YaDQ

   SOLD (Item #M0307)