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| Tuning in to the soul of the cosmos |
This may be the last in the series of
False Artifacts from Cultures That Never Existed. It is a musical vibration instrument that enables up to four users at a time to tune into the cosmic vibration that thrums through every level of existence, from the atoms that make up our bodies to the ongoing rhythm of the universe.
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| Rolled for traveling |
The exterior of the instrument is a hand-stitched assemblage comprised of scraps of vintage textile pieces from around the world — the riches of a fabric stash I have been assembling for the past fifty-plus years. The interior is a hand-embroidered rendition of four different voices singing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" in rounds.
The choice of song emerged from weekly Zoom maker sessions with my sister and grandnieces, after our urge to end each session with a song was frustrated by the realization that the time-lag on Zoom made singing in harmony impossible. The solution? Pick a song that can be sung in rounds, by-passing the timing glitch. Our default choice was "Row Your Boat", though we were oblivious at the time to the spiritual origins and implications of the song.
The Interior
By passing the looped textile through their fingers, those playing the instrument receive a tactile sensation of the song as they sing the rounds. Each voice is represented by a different color.
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| The interior - embroidered rounds |
The Exterior
The exterior combines an assortment of antique and vintage textile scraps from around the world.
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| From top: Laotian stitched spiritual maze, scraps of vintage hand-stitched embroidered collars. |
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| Vintage embroidered collars |
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| Antique Chinese embroidery (note the man in the boat!) |
Playing the Instrument
Once unrolled, the instrument may be refastened into a loop for playing. Ideally, while the instrument may be utilized by one player, the instrument will accommodate up to four players, divided into two pairs standing opposite each other, with all hands on the instrument.
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| Looped position for playing |
Storing the Instrument
When not in use, the instrument may be rolled snugly for storage or travel (see top photo), or may be fastened into a loop and hung on a wall.
