The Firebird Golden Spell Apple

Description

This beautiful handmade lacquered apple altar box is truly beautiful and perfect for any altar. It can be used to hold whispers, spells, incantations, & petitions.

The Firebird is described as a large bird with majestic plumage that glows brightly emitting red, orange, and yellow light, like a bonfire that is just past the turbulent flame. The feathers do not cease glowing if removed, and one feather can light a large room if not concealed. In later iconography, the form of the Firebird is usually that of a smallish fire-colored falcon, complete with a crest on its head and tail feathers with glowing “eyes”. It is beautiful but dangerous, showing no sign of friendliness.

The story of the firebird comes in many forms. Some folk tales say that the Firebird is a mystical bird that flies around a king’s castle and at night swoops down and eats all the king’s golden apples. Others say that the firebird is just a bird that flies around giving hope to those who need it. Some additions to that legend say that when the firebird flies around, his eyes sparkle and pearls fall from his beak. The pearls would then fall to the peasants, giving them something to trade for goods or services. In the most common version of the legend, a Tsar commands his three sons to capture the firebird that keeps flying down from above and eating his apples. The golden apples are in the Tsar’s orchard and give youth and strength to all who eat them. The sons end up barely missing the bird, but they catch one of his feathers that glows in the night. They take it to a dark room and it lights the room completely.

The apple is also known as maybe being the forbidden fruit in the Book of Genesis. a popular Christian tradition holds that Adam and Eve ate an apple from the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden thus gaining knowledge. The apple represents knowledge and the ability to reason. What all this really means, is that “God”, an evil tyrant entity/deity NOT the Real God above All, wanted mankind to stay ignorant in the lowest part of the Tree of Life, only being present here in the physical world, and not gain the experience and understanding of all aspects above which would make mankind free. 

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” (Genesis 3:6) She was deceived and went by her senses. She saw with her eyes, and what she saw looked pleasant and desirable, so she took of the fruit and ate.”

Russian lacquer art developed from the art of icon painting, which came to an end with the collapse of Imperial Russia. The icon painters, who previously had been employed by supplying not only churches but people’s homes, needed a way to make a living. Thus, the craft of making papier-mâché decorative boxes and panels developed, the items were lacquered and then hand painted by the artists, often with scenes from folk tales. This handmade box is made of papier-mâché and is painstakingly hand-painted in the Russian lacquer miniature style. The careful and detailed painting makes the miniature painting unique. The other materials used in the making of the box are linseed oil, varnish, tempera, and gold leaf.

The lacquered miniature box is not only a beautiful treasure; it is a true piece of art. Each piece is unique and can become a family heirloom or beautify any altar.