The Ruler: Silver Wire Wrapped Pendant

Part of the Illuminated Bestiary Series, this handmade pendant is inspired by medieval representations of lions. It is handmade with argentium silver wire. The stones set in this pendant are a dark orange citrine, lapis lazuli, and jade to match the color pallet of the manuscript that inspired it. 

About the Lion:

In the earliest bestiaries, the lion was the King of Beasts. Medieval Christians associated lions with Christ himself: righteous, powerful, and divinely ordained. The lion wasn't just strong. It represented the ideal use of power.

The Plantagenet kings adopted lions as royal symbols, and no one embraced that image more than Richard I or Richard the Lionheart. Richard built a reputation as a fearless military leader, and the connection between lions and kings became deeply embedded in English culture. Then came his younger brother, John I. John inherited the same crown and the standard, but his reign was marked by failed wars, crushing taxes, political conflict, and eventually the rebellion that forced him to accept the Magna Carta.

In the centuries that followed, medieval writers increasingly portrayed lions not only as symbols of strength and virtue, but also as symbols of pride, wrath, and the dangers that come with unchecked power. The lion remained king of the beasts, but now people were asking whether kings were always worthy of the crown. That's what drew me to this image.

This pendant uses the colors of the medieval illumination that inspired it, but the reason I wanted to make it has less to do with lions than it does with people. For thousands of years, we've used stories about animals to talk about ourselves. About who deserves power. What makes a good leader. And what happens when power serves itself instead of the people it's supposed to protect. History doesn't repeat, but it does rhyme.

Materials: citrine, jade, lapis lazuli & argentium silver wire

Care: Buff gently with a soft cloth. Do not soak or polish with chemicals.

Ships in a gift box on a waxed cotton cord, ready to wear or give.