A little more detail…

Inspired by the curiosity of Ravens and my love of their curious nature. I personally was curious to see if I could carve a curious Raven from an old curious silver shilling. Each pendant is carefully handcrafted to order, using only these recycled silver coins. The coins themselves are the perfect medium for this beautiful design, inline with a love of nature using these coins is the perfect ethical and green solution. No new silver is destructively ‘mined’ and old, uncollectible pure silver coins are saved from the ‘melting pot’ of bullion merchants so some of their history and story live on.

Once the design has been freehand sketched on to the coin it is carefully hand cut and carved using traditional hand saws, chisels and files. This traditional process allows me to have a close connection to each piece, ensuring the end result is personal, unique and an out right curiosity.

The raven represents the duality of wisdom and misfortune, creation and destruction. Its profound intelligence and striking black appearance have made it a recurring figure across many cultures, embodying mystery, the supernatural, and a connection to unseen realms. In various mythologies, ravens serve as messengers and vessels of immense knowledge, reflecting their intelligence and observational skills. Odin is famously accompanied by two ravens, Huginn (thought) and Muninn (memory), who fly across the world to gather information for him.

With their dark plumage and ancient, knowing eyes, ravens are often portrayed as keepers of ancient secrets or wisdom from another time. A Gaelic proverb states, “There is wisdom in a raven’s head”.

In Greek myth, ravens were messengers for the god of prophecy, Apollo. In Celtic lore, their cries could be a form of divination, predicting the outcome of a battle.
Death and the underworld Due to their diet of carrion, ravens are frequently associated with death, war, and the afterlife. The Celtic war goddess, the Morrígan, often took the form of a raven, appearing over battlefields to determine the fate of warriors and collect the souls of the dead. In Norse kennings (poetic phrases), the raven is a common symbol for battle and bloodshed.

Edgar Allan Poe’s iconic poem “The Raven” cemented the bird’s status in Gothic literature as a symbol of unending grief and despair, repeating the word “Nevermore” to a tormented narrator. In many European traditions, ravens act as psychopomps, guiding the souls of the dead to the afterlife. In Swedish lore, they are believed to be the ghosts of murdered people who did not receive a proper burial.

In the creation myths of several Indigenous peoples, such as the Tlingit and Haida, the Raven is the one who steals the sun, moon, and stars from a sky chief and brings them to the dark world to provide light.

The raven’s black plumage and ability to cross between worlds make it a powerful symbol of transformation and the balance between opposing forces. The legend that the Kingdom of England will fall if the ravens leave the Tower of London illustrates the bird’s symbolic role as a protector and a force that maintains a crucial balance.

Handmade and recycled in Cambridge, England.

Size : Approx 24 mm diameter.