[Jewelry making - Article 00484] - Re: [Orchid] Proper tattoo for a goldsmith

[juliette arda]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========

Hello again,

    It is an interesting point that you raise. I too am tattooed (a full
    backpiece and a smaller one on my left arm). It never cross my mind
    to include a symbol of our trade in my inks althought they are both
    highly symbolic of my identity and faith. 

    Oddly, I tend to consider jewellery and metalwork, as I practice it,
    like some sort of martial art. It envolves body and spirit, profound
    concentration and awareness, the gestures have to be fluid and
    harmonious....(this could be an entire new discussion.... ) the way
    I work reflect my personnality. 

    Nevertheless, as an individual I can't be resumed to a jeweller or
    metalsmith. I am much more than that... The trade is more a mean of
    expression for my self than my identity itself. 

    Moreover, I don't consider myself as a traditional jeweller and
    wouldn't like to be systematically associate with it. (Despite this, 
I
    really like the idea of belonging to the Orchid community) 

    In ancient Japan, craftperson had their trade and skills tattooed.
    This was useful at that time because there was no schools as we
    figure it nowaday, and most of the people couldn't read. Their
    tattoos were their diplomas. Not that long ago, in France,
    "Compagnons" (members of a famous guild in the building crafts) had a
    solid gold earring as a recognisable mark and some still wear it. 

    If belonging to a trade, guild or community (of whatever it could
    be) is percieved as an advantage, I suppose that showing it through a
    symbol or a mark is natural. the counterpart is that showing this
    belonging includes a responsability toward this entire community as
    one's behaviour could affect all its members. As our western 
societies
    tend to lead us to individualism and, in a paradoxical way, urge us
    to fit in, the more we have to fit, the more we want to be unique. We
    have numerous means to achieve this, through our clothes, hairstyles,
    the choice of a car.... Plus, most of western people don't keep the
    same job all their lifes. Nowadays we have a lot of "recognizable
    mark" for all sorts of belongings but most of them are not permanent
    (school rings, uniforms, or simply wearing a suit and tie in a hot
    summer, even fashion...), Associating oneself with one's job through
    a permanent body modification becomes tricky and uncomfortable. 

    Will I be a jeweller for all my life? Who knows? Maybe not... but
    I'll allways be me. 

    So, to answer your point: no, it has little to do with the
    association with slavery. It is more because of its "reductiveness"
    that I didn't show the trade in my inks. However,... I like to think
    that I own my skills and that my skills do not own me. (typical
    french obsession for freedom, lol). 

Juliette Arda
Artiste-Bijoutiere
Aix en Provence, France
____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________