The View from a Drawbridge

This month my favorite (and only) nephew will be getting married. A special occasion indeed! Dear Husband and I didn’t want to just get the happy couple a crock pot or something that will eventually wear out and be forgotten. We wanted the gift to have emotional meaning and significance. So, we got them a tree of life.

The archetype of the tree of life shows up in many cultures throughout the world. It is a symbol of the source of life, the force that connects us all, or the circle of life. Some tree of life mythology claims that if you eat of the tree of life, you become immortal. Some feel that this tree represents the divine order of things, and that it is the source of wisdom.

In more scientific circles, the tree of life is often used as a metaphor for the connection between all life on earth. It is, in essence, diversity and unity manifested. (I like that concept.)

Our Celtic ancestors’ version of the tree of life was an oak tree. It symbolized strength, longevity, and spiritual and material elevation. J.R.R. Tolkien’s Ents were oak trees. The wood of the oak tree is said to age beautifully and can last for centuries. (And, bridgetender that I am, I was pleased to discover that oak trees were often used to build wooden bridges.)

Various parts of the oak tree represent stability, connection to ancestral wisdom (take heed, nephew!), resilience, and a solid foundation of life. This tree also symbolizes potential, abundance, and new beginnings. Its energy is masculine because it represents the supreme strength of nature. It also represents loyalty.

All of the qualities that are mentioned above are things that we wish for Ryan and Jordan as they continue their lives together, so it seemed like the perfect symbol for their wedding gift. The tree of life that Dear Husband and I got for them is in the form of a vase, and it’s crafted in the Murano Style by a Venice-adjacent company called Due Zeta, which designs a glass line called CC Zecchin that I’ve always loved. They often use vibrant rainbow colors and very contemporary designs.

Even though the company headquarters is not in Murano, according to this website, the glass is produced from the furnace of Effetre Murano, one of the few companies to share the trademark VETRO ARTISTICO® MURANO. According to muranoglass.com, this trademark “is a proof of origin provided by the Veneto Region in compliance with the law 70, passed on December 23 1994. It certifies that products have been made on the island of Murano, according to glass making tradition. It is managed by Consorzio Promovetro.”

Further, the trademark is necessary to “protect the image of Murano glass and also to guarantee the customer about the origin of the product and that it has been made using traditional artistic methods born and developed over a thousand years in the island of Murano.”

According to this website, each CC Zecchin “piece is individually made by the craftsman, and no two pieces will ever be the same; each one has its own unique qualities which is what makes it so precious.”

You can read more about Venetian glass on this Wikipedia page, but the main takeaways are that the nearby island of Murano has been the home of glass factories since the 13^th century. (I long to visit this island someday.) These factories were prone to fire, so they couldn’t be located in Venice proper. On and off over the centuries, Murano glass has been considered the most luxurious glass in Europe, and was highly sought after, especially by nobles. But it was also traded throughout the world. In fact, Venetian glass trade beads have been found in three prehistoric Eskimo sites in Alaska.

Venetian glassmakers closely guarded their recipes for centuries. The Venetian city state prevented the glassmakers from leaving the island without permission. If they left without permission or revealed trade secrets, it was punishable by death.

Here’s a picture of the vase we sent to Ryan and Jordan on the occasion of their wedding. The design is called Tree of Life. I hope they enjoy it as much as I do!