In these variations, the 2 types of nine-pointed stars are overlaid with one another, creating a beautifully lacy symbol of Baha’i. Coop left the center solid so Katrina could woodburn in the center.
You may notice the double 9-point carvings are a little different from one another. When doing the carving for the Ringstone wood burning, Coop had a fortuitous brain fart! He drew the acute point star inside instead of through the second star. The advantage to this is the tips on the Greatest Name version can sometimes break off or chip because of the grainline directions on such a narrow piece. We can do the wood burning on either style…points extended or points contained. If you have a preference please send a note when you check out.
THE BURNING:
THE GREATEST NAME: The symbol known as Greatest Name is Arabic calligraphy usually translated as "O Thou the Glory of the Most Glorious!". This rendering was originally drawn by the early Bahá'í calligrapher Mishkin Qalam and later adopted by Bahá'ís everywhere.
THE RINGSTONE DESIGN: This symbol was designed by Abdu’l-Bahá and represents the connection and relationship between God and mankind. The lower line of the symbol is said to represent humanity, the upper line God, and the middle line represents the special station of Manifestation of God; the vertical line is the Primal Will or Holy Spirit proceeding from God through the Manifestations to humanity. The position of “Manifestation of God” in this symbol is said to be the linking point to God, through which humanity can achieve perfection.
SIZE: The carving is approximately 10.5 inches wide by 11 inches tall.
MEANING: The most commonly used symbol connected to the number 9 used by the Baha'i is the nine-pointed star which is generally used as a symbol of their Faith. Nine, the highest single-digit number, symbolizes completeness. Since the Baha'i Faith claims to be the fulfillment of the expectations of all prior religions, this symbol is used in many variations in the (nine-sided) Baha'i temples.
There is no particular design of the nine-pointed star that is used more often than others.
WHAT IS BAHA’I: The Baha'i Faith is a monotheistic religion that emerged in the nineteenth century. It puts forward that many major religions in the world today are part of a progressive revelation from God, and it considers such diverse figures as Krishna, Zoroaster, Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, and Mohammad to be divine messengers sent by God to guide the world's spiritual development. Bahá'u'lláh, the latest of these Messengers, brought new spiritual and social teachings for our time. His essential message is of unity. He taught the oneness of God, the oneness of the human family, and the oneness of religion.
Baha'is emphasize unity among all of mankind and strive for a united world society. In working toward this goal, the Baha'is vigorously engage in social programs and education that promote racial and gender equality, religious tolerance, environmental responsibility, and improved economies for those in need.
INSPIRATION: Every year, Coop returns to Chicago for a time to visit with his family that still lives there. Normally, all we do is eat hot dogs, Chinese food, and deep-dish pizza, but in 2011 we tore ourselves away from the kitchen table and Coop took me to the Baha’i Temple in Wilmette, IL. It was, amazing. We just sat there and breathed for a long time, inhaling the tranquility of the place and looking at the wonderful designs throughout the space. At the very apex of the dome is a large lighted version of the ‘Greatest Name’. Coop had already been doing the 2 single versions but once he saw the double version he just had to try it and the glowing calligraphy was so beautiful that had to be done too!
THE CARVING: Our carvings are single pieces of western red cedar, designed and carved to be wall hangings. Each carving begins as a 1 X 12-inch cedar board. While we use power tools (Scroll Saw, Rotary shaft Tool, handheld detail sanders, etc.), we use no lasers, CNC machines, or computer-operated cutting machines. All work is done with our hands and eyes…
We cut the 2-dimensional blanks with scroll and jig saws (double-sized custom orders have to be cut with a jigsaw). Carving is done with rotary shaft tools and disc grinders. The 80-grit sanding is the final phase of the carving process, removing the nicks and gouges from the carving tools, and finishes the shaping of the weave. The next 2 sandings with 120 and then 220 grit finishes the smoothing and polishing. They are finished with Clear Danish Oil to seal the piece, bringing out the grain and the color.
