The Mokume Gane technique was developed in 17^th century Japan, following the example of the layered metal technique found in the “katana” Samurai’s sword. The technique allows forging a metal that looks actually like wood. The literal meaning of Mokume Gane is “Metal that looks like knots in wood”.

The production of Mokume is a long process that requires concentration and exactness. The example that appears in the photograph is the fusion of silver and copper metals. One has to perfectly wash and polish the metal plaques in order to prevent gaps and oxidization in the heating process.

The metal plaques are pressed together between two thick steel plates and then the entire apparatus is put into a high temperature furnace. Due to the fact that the metals are placed under extreme pressure, they heat up and eventually merge. This process is known as diffusion. This requires great concentration on the part of the artist because the most effective way to identify the moment of fusion is observing the shades of red and orange produced by the molded hot metal. The premature arrest of the process will prevent the merging of the metals where as stopping the process too late will cause the melting of the metals, and therefore the destruction of the Mokume.

After the billet of the Mokume is ready, the process of creating of the textures begins. Creating indentations in the metal and rolling it out creates the effect of knots and wood grain. We must continually re-enact this process, until we receive the desired texture. The use of different metals obviously creates different shades. The most common metals used in traditional Mokume are silver, copper, Shakudu (a combination of gold and copper), and Washiboishi, (a combination of silver and copper).

 The use of The Mokume allows me as an artist to master the production of the material itself, and not just the usual process of working with prepared metals as in ordinary silver and gold crafting.

Each Mokume jewel is my own exclusive and unique creation that is entirely hand made by me. The process of creating the Mokume entails “intention” - a kabbalistic concept that means concentration of consciousness. It also entails “Samadhi”, a term from Yogic philosophy, meaning the ability to change and create objects on the physical plane by focusing our awareness.

The Mokume rings are widely used as wedding rings, because of the symbolism reflected in the unification of the different metals, expressed in the merging of the two metals into one integrated texture that is simply breathtaking in its harmonious beauty.

In 1995, I had a dream that sent me looking for a mysterious green stone:
“A store appeared in one of the alleys. It had a fantastic variety of artifacts including unusual stones. I asked the sales girl for a green stone named “Shamballa”. She said that they didn’t have that stone and showed me stones from different star systems.”

The answer to my dream came that same year. A friend told me about a mumbling beggar who was walking around a street near my home in Tel-Aviv saying all kinds of things… Despite of my hesitation, we went out looking for him. We soon found him. He studied me for a few minutes while my friend went to get him something to eat. Then he said to me ‘You’re the mystic, you’re looking for the stone!’ He yelled ‘Once I had gold; now I have Iron!’

Two weeks later a different friend brought me a copy of ‘The Emerald Tablets of Thoth the Atlantean’. After looking at this book I understood that this was the green stone I was looking for. It had everything - alchemy, Shamballa, and the great pyramid of Giza….”
Enjoy the cosmic joke!
David

Kate Raudenbush is a sculptor I had the pleasure of coming to contact with a couple of months ago.
She recently sent me photos of “The Guardian of Eden” sculpture she had built. This sculpture was commissioned by the Burning Man project (an immense gathering of art, fire, dance, music and love in the Black Rock dessert in Nevada, USA.)
“The sculpture is an 18 foot tall plasma-cut steel climbable lotus flower.  Those who climb it can recline in its 12 enormous petals and can gaze into a giant mirrored seedpod at its center. At night the seed pod glows from within illuminating those in the petals’ embrace. Below, the sacred symbol of the Flower of Life projects from the center of the flower and into a star-shaped pool of lagoon blue.” Says Kate, “It was a powerful place to meditate, gather in a drum or chanting circle or even get married.”
Today the sculpture is on exhibit at the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno, Nevada through the end of January.
You can see in the photos here the statue as it existed in Nevada during The Burning man event – in one of the photos Kate is sitting below the progection of the Flower of Life. The other image is a detail of the glowing light below the sculpture.  

Kate also wrote: “I can only say that I am overjoyed that the sculptures’ spiritual message of rebirth and enlightenment  will reach the outside world, and hope that the people who interact with if will feel the energy and love that I put into it.
I hope you are doing well and thank you again for your inspiring work.
With love and thanks,

Kate”

You are all welcome to visit her wonderful and inspiring website to view some more of her interesting creations!
KATE RAUDENBUSH EXPERIMENTS

Gerrit and Lindi, two dear people from South Africa, recently sent me this:

“Dear David…
Last night while studying the Sepheroth I decided to build a 3D model of the Etz Chaim to widen my perspective on this magnificent structure. Like you will see on the attachments we used marshmallows and straws. I am sendind you this as an example of what it looks like. I must say that even using these basic materials it is so strong in its completion and for me….very beautiful. Hope you will find this interesting and maybe an idea for a 3D pendant. Regards and peace. Gerrit & Lindi”

Hello everyone,

I’m very happy to let you know that my new Russian website is up! All the articles, models and explanations now available in Russian in addition to the long time running English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese and Hebrew sites.

Наслаждайтесь!
David

Ka gold jewelry in Russian

I want to take this chance to offer a “cosmic” perspective to all that is happening in our world, especially here in the Middle East. Living in Israel, I’m afraid one has to deal with hard situations not everyone in the world has to deal with. This is a region in constant turmoil, manifesting itself in wars, killing, harming others and all that is around and all – in the name of god.
Taking the ‘cosmic’ perspective means understanding our real place in the universe, how small this planet really is in comparison to all that exists, how unimportant we are…
This movie says it all so clearly and beautifully… Dedicated to Carl Sagan an American astronomer and astrobiologist who, amongst other things, co-wrote the TV show “Cosmos – a personal voyage”.

“A pale blue dot” - in YouTube 

“(1) Jesus saw infants being suckled.
(2) He said to his disciples: “These little ones being suckled are like those who enter the kingdom.”
(3) They said to him: “Then will we enter the kingdom as little ones?”
(4) Jesus said to them: “When you make the two into one, and when you make the inside like the outside and the outside like the inside and the above like the below –
(5) That is, to make the male and the female into a single one, so that the male will not be male and the female will not be female –
(6) and when you make eyes instead of an eye and a hand instead of a hand and a foot instead of a foot, an image instead of an image, (7) then you will enter [the kingdom].”

Taken from the Nag Hammedi scriptures, the gospel according to Thomas.

The Nag Hammedi scriptures are ancient writings found in Egypt in 1945 and they contain the gospel according to Thomas, said to be Jesus’ closest apostle.  They contain many quotes from lectures Jesus had made for his followers.
In this quote, Jesus explains how the perception of reality is actually something that the man reflects from his inside. The real truth is inside each and every one of us and so the more one is aware that all is one he has better control of reality. One can then be more aware to the processes around him and understand them. Only by turning the inside out and the outside in - we could “enter the kingdom” – have the key for redemption.
This idea repeats itself in most known religions including Taoism and Buddhism. Much like the idea that we should not get attached to things as all things are impermanent also mentioned in the scriptures. I express these ideas in many of my works such as the Mobius ring, The Gordian knot and God’s word pendants showing the idea of turning the inside out and outside in and even the Four winds ring carrying the phrase “The further one travels the less one knows” – because the truth is inside us. 

“(3) Rather, the kingdom is inside of you, and outside of you.”
(4) “When you come to know yourselves, then you will be known,
and you will realize that you are the children of the living Father.
(5) But if you do not come to know yourselves, then you exist in poverty, and you are poverty.”
Taken from the Nag Hammedi scriptures, the gospel according to Thomas.

(Creating the labyrinth from its key)

This labyrinth is an ancient symbol and can be found in many places in the world. Spiritually, this labyrinth symbols the growth and development of men: All the cells in the human body are renewed once every 7 years; the Seed of life (made of 7 circles) is a symbol for the 7 days of creation; the Torus tube contains a mathematical formula for the 7 colors and more. The seven stages of the labyrinth represent the stages in spiritual development as well as the 7 chakras and energetic centers of our bodies.

The ancient riddle is actually – “How to get out of this labyrinth?”

When we take the key to creating the labyrinth and turn it inside out and outside in (as said Jesus) we find wholeness. This is the only way to get out of the labyrinth.
This square with a perfect circle inside and a dot in the center is the symbol of gold in Alchemy. This symbol is actually the basis for all geometry as it contains all the basic shapes. It also stands for the highest spiritual level a man can achieve.
 
(The key to the labyrinth turned inside out)

This symbol is the way to create the Vesica pisces – the beginning of the creation, the basis for the universe. Continuation of this creates the Seed of life, then the Flower of life and on to all that was created and exists. Once a person reaches this spiritual level he is one with the universe.

(From the key of the labyrinth to the Vesica Pisces to the Seed of life)