Gargoyle

The name gargoyle comes from the French legend of "La Gargouille," a fearsome dragon that terrorized the inhabitants of the town of Rouen. For centuries, according to the story, the dragon swallowed up ships and flooded the town, until around 600 BC, when a priest named Romanus agreed to vanquish the beast in exchange for the townspeople's conversion to Christianity. Romanus tamed the dragon by making the sign of the cross and then led it into town where it was burned at the stake. The creature’s head, however, wouldn’t burn, so he cut it off and affixed it to the church. The gargoyle’s head became a defender against evil and a warning to other dragons. Eventually, gargoyles in many forms became common on buildings around the world.

I believe each of us is invested with our own personal gargoyle. Only we can control whether it presents itself as a an evil personage, hell bent on creating havoc in our life or the lives of those around us, or as a guardian against the cruel and wicked forces that face us in our modern existence. It may be visible through the glass door, but only you know what it is capable of!

The face of the “Gargoyle” is a replica of a one found on the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. It is  fashioned from wet molded leather that has been finished with air brushed acrylics. It is housed in an antique, Eastlake style clock case that has been lined with copper foil and embellished with images from a vintage “Life” magazine.