Oracles, an art group whose members are also drawn from Yorkshire, launches its Christmas Table display at the castle on December 23. The exhibition will then run from December 26 to January 2, from 10am to 4pm.
Chesterfield artist Syvia Causer said: ”Following the success of our last exhibition, Bolsover Castle invited our group Oracles to participate in their Victorian Christmas decorations. We’ve based our work around two themes of Pandora’s Box and Victorian Christmas Decorations.
“In the story of Pandora’s Box, as a gift, Zeus gave Pandora a box, which she was told never to open. However, as soon as he was out of sight, she took off the lid and out swarmed all the troubles of the world, never to be recaptured. Only Hope was left in the box, stuck under the lid. Anything that looks ordinary but may produce unpredictable harmful results can thus be called a Pandora’s Box.”
1. Victorian Christmas Decorations
Sheila Wetton’s work focuses on the exchanging and sending of Christmas cards, yet another tradition invented during the Victorian era. They enjoyed quirky, humorous and sometimes, sinister images on their cards. They made their own cards and pinprick cards became a popular craft at Christmas. Photo: Submitted
2. Pandora's Box
Michael Borkowsky makes recognisable objects such as dice and chess pieces which had a degree of commonality, even though board games were in their infancy during the Victorian period. Such objects could house the idea of a Pandora’s Box. Photo: Submitted
3. Pandora's Box
Shirley Harris’s Twelfth Night cake presents a scene of a dark frozen midwinter deeply connected to earthly material. Here, Hope brings light, sometimes in the form of a bird, a butterfly, and a fairy, with a promise of regeneration and spring. Photo: Submitted
4. Pandora's Box
Sharon Borkowsky’s contemporary art metallic cross-stitch piece captures the anticipation of not know what you are going to get when unboxing a gift and the irresistible childish curiosity of peeking when you shouldn’t. Photo: Submitted