The denizens of the deep hold great attraction for many and one of the most celebrated in film and literature is the cephalopod! One representative of these fascinating creatures adorns a new furniture piece by the artist Yabette!
Hand painted cephalopod by Yabette on treaure trove drawers at Swankety Swank
Entitled the “Reliquary of the Magic Mariner,” this distinguished art deco dresser is a vintage treasure! It has been refinished in slate blue, features dovetailed drawers, original pulls and solid wood deep drawers. It has been clear coated for long lasting surface wear. It’s dimensions are 36″H x 46″W x 20″D.
"Reliquary of Magic Mariner" by Yabette for Swankety Swank
In her new book Sex, Drugs and Sea Slime, Ellen Prager shares the secret world of “The Ocean’s Oddest Creatures” (read an excerpt on Wired.com):
More than eight hundred species of cephalopods reside within the world’s oceans and include squids, octopuses, cuttlefishes, the nautilus, and a unique deep-sea crossover — the vampire squid. They are all mollusks, with a heredity distantly connected to shellfish such as clams, oysters, and snails. Oddly, what was once a foot evolved to become mostly a head along with a bevy of arms, and all but the nautilus lost their protective outer shells.
The amazing defenses of cephalopods are well documented in Prager’s book:
To avoid the oceans’ hungry masses, cephalopods have developed an extraordinary array of defenses. Roger Hanlon of the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts…discovered that when confronted, their first line of defense is camouflage, and that they are the fastest, best-equipped animals on the planet when it comes to hiding in plain sight…Cephalopods are able to quickly and precisely take on the appearance of the bottom and become very uncephalopod-like. They can match the brightness, color, pattern, and texture of the seafloor in seconds, create optical illusions, and change the shape of their bodies to mimic in 3-D. Much of their success as disguise artists lies in their sophisticated “smart” skin.
The unique abilities of the cephalopod are greatly suited for gracing the front of this dresser as they imbue its sturdy artisan qualities with maturity, cleverness and long-life.
A reliquary is a sacred place to keep objects which have great significance. These objects, known as relics, are survivors of times gone. Like the deep blue, this unique furniture piece will hold your treasures, whether they are day to day items or one of a kind accessories. Come into Swankety Swank today and see how each piece of art in the store honors age, earth and beauty!
