cry cup original signed and numbered block print
cry cup original signed and numbered block print
$65.00
“Thou tellest my wanderings, put thou my tears in Thy bottle; are they not in Thy Book?” - Psalm 56:8
I have recently learned that tear cups were common in Roman times, when mourners filled small cups or flasks with tears and placed them in burial tombs as symbols of respect. Sometimes women were even paid to cry into these vessels, as they walked along the mourning procession. Those crying the loudest and producing the most tears received the most compensation, or so the legend goes. The more anguish and tears produced, the more important and valued the deceased person was perceived to be.
In some American Civil War stories, women were said to have cried into tear bottles and saved them until their husbands returned from battle. Their collected tears would show the men how much they were adored and missed.
This is a made to order print, so the edition size and date printed may vary. Block printed on beveled sugar cane (and archival) printing paper. I use biodegradable plastic and recycled cardboard to package my prints (since 2010).
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A little about the artist Rebecca Cristante (myself):
Growing up in a rural town in south Georgia gave me an ample first hand education of the natural world. In college I immersed myself in religious studies and ecology, fortifying my foundation of respect for the unseen connections of everything in us, and around us, which is often the theme of my work. I started focusing primarily on printmaking full time in 2010, when my first son was born. While printing has become my day job, I spend as many evenings and weekends as I can in books and paintings, some my own, some someone else’s. I make my prints the old fashioned way, with hand drawn sketches and hand carved blocks and fragrant ink. It is truly an honor and a dream come true each time I address an envelope to send my art to you.
Instagram: @rebeccacristante
www.rebeccacristante.com
I have recently learned that tear cups were common in Roman times, when mourners filled small cups or flasks with tears and placed them in burial tombs as symbols of respect. Sometimes women were even paid to cry into these vessels, as they walked along the mourning procession. Those crying the loudest and producing the most tears received the most compensation, or so the legend goes. The more anguish and tears produced, the more important and valued the deceased person was perceived to be.
In some American Civil War stories, women were said to have cried into tear bottles and saved them until their husbands returned from battle. Their collected tears would show the men how much they were adored and missed.
This is a made to order print, so the edition size and date printed may vary. Block printed on beveled sugar cane (and archival) printing paper. I use biodegradable plastic and recycled cardboard to package my prints (since 2010).
.
A little about the artist Rebecca Cristante (myself):
Growing up in a rural town in south Georgia gave me an ample first hand education of the natural world. In college I immersed myself in religious studies and ecology, fortifying my foundation of respect for the unseen connections of everything in us, and around us, which is often the theme of my work. I started focusing primarily on printmaking full time in 2010, when my first son was born. While printing has become my day job, I spend as many evenings and weekends as I can in books and paintings, some my own, some someone else’s. I make my prints the old fashioned way, with hand drawn sketches and hand carved blocks and fragrant ink. It is truly an honor and a dream come true each time I address an envelope to send my art to you.
Instagram: @rebeccacristante
www.rebeccacristante.com