The Power of Fragments

I grew up hearing the same story – From what I can remember, the little glass tube, attached to a thin gold chain, contained a very tiny piece of wood.  My relative always wore it around her neck.   She never tired of telling those around her that the fragment was originally a part of the cross on which Christ was crucified.  I also remember thinking how special it must be for an accountant living in Columbus, Ohio to own a fragment of such a rare and important artifact.  When I inquired further, my relative told the details of how she purchased it at the Vatican in Rome.  It was blessed by the Pope.  This story continues to, as it did when I was a small boy, feed my imagination.

 I am not commenting on the veracity of my relative’s beliefs, or the authenticity of the wood splinter – it certainty remained meaningful throughout her life.   What I am thinking about is the power of a fragment, and how these dis-embodied artifacts represent a certain drive within the field of preservation to honor the materiality of form and recreate rather than re-think.

https://twistedpreservation.com/2016/03/02/the-power-of-fragments/