Coop carves several variations of the Bahá’i Star; this carving consists of 3 triangles woven together to create a nine-pointed star.
MEANING: The nine-pointed star is generally used by Baha’is as a symbol of their Faith. Nine, as the highest single-digit number, symbolizes completeness. Since the Baha’i Faith claims to fulfill the expectations of all prior religions, this symbol is used in many variations in the (nine-sided) Baha’i temples.
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.
SIZE:
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.
