"Now in this island of Atlantis there was a great and wonderful empire which had rule over the whole island and several others, and over parts of the continent...."

-Timaeus, by Plato

This is another one potentially for the Artisan Crafters club Myths contest. I haven't decided yet. To see the other items I'm considering for the contest, please go here.

Full View Highly Recommended.

Wednesday, October 18th, 1053pm PST edit - I've submitted this for the myths contest. *fingers crossed*

The shell is Abalone shaped (using a nail file, no less!) to this map of Atlantis from 1669 by Athanasius Kircher. The hole was made by a hungry snail. The spiral, in my eyes, can be seen as a representation of Bensalem, the utopian city described in Francis Bacon's The New Atlantis or as the the cataclysmic episode which destroyed the island, depending on your outlook and general philosophical viewpoint. The wire is 'bronze' 26ga crafting wire (which is actually Copper with a special coating).

Detail picture:
Atlantean Dreams Detail

And here's my little soap box bit: For my viewpoint, it doesn't matter whether or not Atlantis really existed. Just the same as it doesn't matter if the Bible is literally true or not - what matters is what lessons we take to heart from the writings. The Atlanteans were, according to legend, very technologically advanced, much like us. According to the original writings, they became full of themselves and thus the gods punished them. There are some who would say that they brought their own destruction on themselves. According to more modern interpretations, Atlantis was a haven of knowledge and wisdom, sinking beneath the waves not to be destroyed, but to linger in seclusion under the surface, waiting for a properly prepared society to rediscover them. So, we have to ask ourselves, what lesson do we choose to take from these interpretations? Do we become like them and have ourselves destroyed, do we hold to a dream of a better place somewhere under the water but do nothing, or do we change our society to meet this mythical place, even if it is only in metaphor and philosophy?

Comments?