Auvergne. Folk art from the late 18th / early 19th century Lace-maker's half-moon or chaleil holder Impressive carving on hardwood (beech?) with geometric motifs of circled crosses, rosettes, wolves' teeth and saw teeth around the edges, probably for apotropaic purposes. Longevity is encouraged by the lines and trees of life; the hen brings fertility, while the rooster, a solar symbol, watches over and protects the home. The bread and wine on either side of the monstrance take us back to the essentials of the Christian message, but are also a symbol of abundance. All the elements are present for a happy marriage, where love abounds. If we take de Las Cases at his word, the use of a chakra seems obvious. However, the size of the piece is puzzling: extrapolating from the missing heart at the end, the length is 60 cm. In his 1987 exhibition catalogue, Roger Verdier presents a series of lace-maker's half-moons, which in metric terms are 60 cm long. The absence of any traces of burning or smoke, which are very common on horse-drawn carriages, also points in this direction. Finally, a piece of work by the fiancé for his young lace-maker bride, expressing all these symbols of marriage, would perhaps be more appropriate on this tool, rather than on a domestic object already in place. Either way, the object is a magnificent work of naive, symbolic sculpture. 58 cm Provenance: private collection, Salers Bibliography: similar models in: Philippe de Las Cases, L'art rustique en France: l'Auvergne, Paris, Albin Michel, p.82 Roger Verdier, Les bois sculptés du XVème au XXème siècle, savants et populaires, cat. exp. at Saint Nectaire, 1987, page 91. (A break and a missing piece at the end of the heart)