I want to write about the little “prayer nuts” nestled into a small display area in the Rijks Museum. We all go there to see the grand “Old Masters” – paintings that cover entire walls. And they are very grand and important – worthy of study and praise. And yet, and yet .. In the very next room, these three tiny nuts – which I would never have noticed, had it not been for the docent, were these three small nuts. Called “prayer nuts,” they are minutely carved scenes from Christ’s life inside a nut that is the size of a walnut. Some are sectioned so they can be opened revealing even more small details. Some have inscirptions. They were commissioned by very wealthy patrons in the 1500s, not even to be shown – but merely to be owned. To tuck into the pocket of a grand robe as a mark of wealth. Or possibly they were used for individual prayer – like unfolding the presence of the divine held within. Or possibly symbolizing the fact of Christ’s human incarnation (the outer part of the nut) that held his inner divinity.
It is unknown how long it took the artists to carve these very tiny pieces of art – but one can easily imagine that the slightest twitch could ruin the entire carving. Just imagine having that kind of devotion to your calling. To work small. To have trust and patience. To know your work will likely not be seen. To pursue it anyway. These nuts took my breath away in a different way than the Grand old Masters paintings (which also took years to paint and had extremely small details). Perhaps because the larger works are so well-known and the little prayer nuts captured my fancy because they were almost like an afterthought.
How much magnificence do we all miss because no-one calls our attention to it? I wonder how much in this world I don’t behold because it is too small, hidden, unknown, deemed unimportant. I’m going to try to seek out smallness this week.
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