A medieval tradition among the Troubador poets of Provance equated the hunt of the hart (male deer) with the hunt of the heart(pursuit of the beloved [or love itself] by the lover).
In Medieval times, the hart was a highly respected animal, and had great symbolic and mythological significance. It was often compared to Christ for its suffering; a well-known story tells of how St. Eustace was converted to Christianity by seeing a crucifix between the antlers of a stag while hunting. Images of the stag dominate historical texts, testifying to the prominence of the deer in culture. It signified royalty, and only kings and the aristocracy were allowed to hunt for this magnificent animal.
It's hard to come up with words to describe this necklace. Honey-colored tumbled agate and bold rounds of red agate accent a breathtaking hand-carved stag pendant. The wire wrapping for this piece is in anti-tarnish 18 gauge brass wire, and the individual yellow agate beads are also wrapped with brass wire. The pendant features a stag in flight, bounding over the land, full of grace and power. It is rendered in a medieval style image, and, sadly, the photos do not give it justice. The earrings are matching red agate rounds, with luminous yellow tumbled agate on brass kidney wires. I will be sad to part with it, but it will be a great addition to the wardrobe of just the right lady..
