An old form, made new
It could have been found. It was made.
Our Abacus chains draw the soroban into recycled 925 sterling silver, a count left open, closed by a bayonet clasp worn at the front. Nothing about the piece announces itself. It reads the way an old object reads, familiar before it is explained.
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Constantin Brâncuși, Endless Column, 1918. One form, repeated, until it says everything it needs to. |
Etymology
Abacus, from the Greek abax, the counting board. For five thousand years everything owed and everything owned was counted on rows of sliding beads. Trade, debt, harvest. Nothing written, everything known.
A board before it was a word
The Romans carried a hand abacus small enough for a pocket. The Chinese kept theirs on a frame of wire and wood. The Japanese soroban refined the form furthest, a narrow board strung with sharp-edged double cones, each one moved by a single finger, each movement a fact.
Abacus Necklace From $390 AUD |
Abacus Bracelet $270 AUD |