screen printed backpatch "Phosphoros"
Phosphoros – the bringer of light – was a name given to different figures in western mythology and religion, a name for to those who have brought light and thus enlightenment to humanity. This enlightenment is sometimes understood literally, like in the myth of Prometheus who stole the fire from the gods and brought it to the mortals and thus “enlightened” their lives with fire and wisdom, but also exclusively metaphorical, as in the story of Lucifer, whose name is the Roman version of the Greek word “Phosphoros”. Another, less popular use for this name is in connection to the goddess Hecate, who is often depicted holding torches to light the way through the darkness. This darkness may be the one that she encounters in the realm of Hades, since she is a goddess of the underworld, but also a metaphorical darkness - the darkness that covers mysteries and hides the light of knowledge. The fire of Hecate's torches shines in the upper part of the illustration, while three other symbols that are connected to her complete the composition: The key that she is often shown holding is the key to the underworld as well as the key to unlock the secrets of occult mysteries and knowledge of afterlife while the dagger is a symbol of ritual power and is cutting through illusions. The way these two cross each other refers to Hecate being also a goddess of crossroads, where she was often worshiped at. Lastly, the moon is refering to her function as a deity of the night and also a deity of the moon, just like Artemis or Selene.
ca. 38 x 27 cm. This patch is designed and screen printed by myself in my home studio. Each patch is printed and cut individually by hand. The colours I use are eco friendly water based screen printing inks, the fabric is black cotton canvas.
IMPORTANT INFO: After they're sewn on the patches are machine-washable at 40°C. To avoid fraying please make sure to fold the edges inward with an iron prior to sewing the patch on and use stitches that go around the edge (like buttonhole stitches) rather than stitching parallel to the edge.
Worldwide tracked shipping.
Thank you for stopping by!