Looking at the Masters: Daffodil and Falcon

 

It should be no surprise that the daffodil is the March birth flower. They are popping out all over the place. The daffodil is a symbol of rebirth and new beginnings since its bright yellow flower is the first flower to bloom in the Spring. The first day of Spring this year was March 19.  The daffodils also are a symbol of creativity, energy, resilience, vitality, good luck, and hope. The daffodil bulb has been known to flower every year for as many as 100 years. Daffodils are classified under the botanical name narcissus, as are jonquils.

Daffodils have been abundant in Europe and North Africa for centuries. The flower was very popular in London in the 17th Century.  Shakespeare, in his play The Winter’s Tale (1623), reminds the reader, “When daffodils begin to peer […] Why then, comes the sweet o’ the year.” The “Daffodil Tile” (1900) (earthenware) (Pilkington Tile and Pottery) was created by English artist Walter Crane (1845-1915), and it was part of a series of six tiles called Flora’s Train or Flora’s Retinue. Ten years earlier, Crane designed over 50 plates for the popular book Flora’s Feast: A Masque of Flowers (1899). The tile series was inspired by the book, and the six-tile design was the same image. The dancing lady among the yellow daffodils may have been inspired by William Wordsworth’s famous poem: “I wandered lonely as a cloud/ That floats on high o’er vales and hills, / When all at one I saw a crowd, / A host of golden daffodils; / Beside the lake, beneath the trees, / Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.” The UK remains the largest grower of daffodils today.

 “Black Vase with Daffodils” (1980) (oil) (66”x50’’) was painted by American artist Janet Fish (b.1938). She is well-known for her realistic still-life paintings featuring flowers and fruit arranged with a wide variety of reflective objects. This painting is an excellent example of the work that has made her so popular. Not only are the glass and silver items well rendered, Fish paid close attention to the specific details of daffodils. Daffodils have a very light scent and usually one flower per stem. The trumpet has six petals with pointed foliage. 

“Do remember they can’t cancel the spring” (March 23, 2020) is by English artist David Hockney (b.1937). He produced the image on his iPad, and   shared it with the world while he, along with everyone else, was isolating at home during Covid.  Four yellow daffodils spring from the fresh green earth to send a message that nature and we are resilient.

The Native American Totem Animal for those born between March 21 and April 19 is the falcon. Falcons have a history starting in Egypt’s Old Kingdom (c. 2686 BCE.). The god Horus is represented by the falcon, and the falcon represents swiftness, loyalty, fierceness, fearlessness, truth, and knowledge. Horus is the god of the sky. The Egyptian sculpture “Horus/Falcon” (663 BCE) depicts the falcon wearing the double crown of Egypt that represents the uniting of upper and lower kingdoms. When depicted with a human body, Horus has a falcon head. Horus is the protector of the Pharoah, and as the falcon he is frequently depicted standing behind the behind the Pharoah, his wings embracing the Pharoah’s head, as his protector. The falcon image commonly appeared on jeweled amulets worn as additional protection. In another representation, the Horus falcon was frequently represented by a single eye, because Horus’s right eye was the sun, representing power, and his left eye was the moon, representing healing. 

Falcons are smaller and have longer wings than do hawks, with which they are often confused. They were observed to fly very fast, having been tracked at 242 mph. Their eyesight is greater than humans, observable by their ability to see and catch prey that humans cannot see. By the 8th Century, falcons were used for hunting in Syria by the royal courts. “Ferocious Falcon” (18th Century) (Punjab Hills, India) (13”x9”) (watercolor) is one of many images of falcons used in the hunt. Falconry spread across the Islamic world to China, and eventually to Europe. The falcon wears a red leather hood decorated with a bead. It is perched on a block and tied with red leather jesses. Its sharp black beak can sever an animal’s neck. The sharp black claws can easily capture and hold prey.  The falcon seen in Egypt and Asia is a Lanner falcon.

The falcon species best known by Native Americans is the Peregrine falcon. The falcon is the first spirit animal in the Native American zodiac, and it represents the Spring Solstice. A symbol of great strength, it was thought to bring good luck and victory in warfare. Falcon costumes and masks were worn as preparation for a hunt or war. Shamans also wore falcon masks and costumes as part of their rituals.  “Falcon” (200 BCE to 500 CE) (Hopewell, Ohio) is identified as a peregrine falcon. It was found in Hopewell, Ohio, where 25 man-made mounds cover an area larger than 10 football fields. The first excavation took place in 1920-21, followed by excavations in the 1960s and 1970s.

“Falcon” was made by pounding copper nuggets to form the desired shape. The Hopewell Indians had not developed the technique of smelting ore. Copper was a sacred metal to Native Americans and it was used exclusively for ceremonial objects. The copper used to fashion “Falcon” came from Lake Superior, some 800 miles away. American Indian tribes believed copper had special powers. The copper falcon was considered a living thing, and was given a ceremonial burial.

Beverly Hall Smith was a professor of art history for 40 years.  Since retiring with her husband Kurt to Chestertown in 2014, she has taught art history classes at WC-ALL. She is also an artist whose work is sometimes in exhibitions at Chestertown RiverArts and she paints sets for the Garfield Center for the Arts.