Prudentia
Lately I’ve been thinking about my Project Pomegranate and how to proceed. It is an unusual project and so I’m not finding much in the way of prototypes to look at, just bits and pieces. For the top part I’m envisioning a double layer of the smaller chicken wire painted black which will be a deterrent to birds and squirrels - not because it’s painted black but because of the overlap of two layers of small chickenwire. The last thing I want is a design that a small bird can get through and end up trapped inside this cage. Although the gazebo design I chose to order was named “birdcage,” I didn’t order it to be in fact a birdcage. I couldn’t find a gazebo design called “pomegranate cage!”
Then I will take the design on the top half of my old gazebo my son installed for me and which stands over my treasured Japanese shrine and use that design which will be expressed in copper wire that I will affix over the chickenwire. Of course, hard thinking is going into how all these things will be affixed to the form but I have to get excited about an overall design first before I worry about the details. Clearly it will have to be a tight fit for this whole project to be a success. But I’ve got some options for the affixing: sodering, welding, and zip ties.
I learned recently that whole building facades and more use strong adhesives to keep their enormous vertical panels of cement affixed to the underlayment. But that no adhesive is designed to withstand 110 degrees! Even without fires, this area in the Summer sees such temperatures. It causes quite a funny prospect if it weren’t so terrifying to imagine.
When will we learn to look at the future with a bigger picture in mind! And why would any planning commision, architect, or venture capitalist move forward on projects consisting of a large body of vertical cement held with adhesive that cannot withstand temperatures expected at certain times of year!! Yes, I’ve seen the commercial of the guy that made a floating boat with the use of adhesive tape, but would you head out into the ocean in such a dinghy? I guess I’m just too prudent.
As a young girl in the ‘60s, prudence was not sought after but rather thought of as a passion killer: a prude! But looking further back in time prudence is a good thing. In fact it even figures as a virtue in classical philosophy from Plato and Aristotle and on into the theological philosophers such as Acquinas. Prudence was thought to go hand in hand with justice and the classical art depicted four moral virtues - including prudence - as women.
Prudentia was an allegorical female personification of the virtue holding in her hands a snake and a mirror. Snakes are said to represent Wisdom and mirrors Truth and Self realization. Such is one of the few hints as to why Prudentia is depicted as holding a mirror and a snake; another is that with the mirror she looks behind or maybe ahead, and by holding the snake she shows her ability to deal with trouble. But snakes in classical times were not the frightful slithering not-to-be touched creatures of today. In fact, snakes were thought to represent Wisdom and in the temple of Asclepius, healing.
An interesting take on prudence as an intellectual virtue essential to the virtues of action comes from Wikipedia:
“Without prudence, bravery becomes foolhardiness, mercy sinks into weakness, free self-expression and kindness into censure, humility into degradation and arrogance, selflessness into corruption, and temperance into fanaticism. The purpose of prudence is to consider the circumstances of time, place, and manner that are relevant in any given situation….”
And so with these accolades for Prudence, I will forge on taking my time to consider just how to put my project together for ultimate success. Pomegranates are Fall fruits and so I have some time.