Abandoned Comb Amulet

Limited Production of 30

The alarming en masse disappearance of honeybees worldwide (Colony Collapse Disorder) is the inspiration for The Abandoned Comb Amulet.

The necklace is a bittersweet collaboration with nature: a honeycomb pendant sculpted by bees, crafted of solid 18 karat gold and captured in honey harvested from a rooftop hive in Brooklyn. Confined by a three inch hexagonal sugar-glass pyramid, The Abandoned Comb Amulet is defined by a Solomonic dilemma. A choice must be made to forcefully exhume the honey-drenched gold, violently shattering and consuming its casing, or to recognize value in its current form, nurturing a natural deterioration and the gradual revelation of treasure within.

THE PROCESS

A unique and lengthy production process renders each Abandoned Comb Amulet one-of-a-kind. The process begins with abandoned honeycomb gathered from rooftop hives. Using the ancient “lost-wax” tradition, the honeycomb wax is ultimately destroyed, burned away and replaced by molten gold. The result is a perfect golden replica of the original honeycomb.

Broken into unique combinations of hexagons, the individual pendant is clearly part of a greater whole. Each piece is cleaned and assembled into a 16 to 21 inch gold necklace, then sealed into a handmade sugar-glass pyramid filled with honey from the same Brooklyn rooftop. The final creation is a fragile balance of the natural and the manmade, shielded by glass, imprisoned in its own pristine environment.

A special thank you to The Brooklyn Bee, PapaBubble Caramels Artesans, Susanne Goetz and Austin Priebe. Photos by Gisel Florez.

25% of the proceeds will benefit local beekeeping efforts by The Brooklyn Bee.

No bees were displaced to create The Abandoned Comb Amulet.

A limited edition of 30 is available now. Handmade in New York City.
To order please visit BlackSheepAndProdigalSons.com

A NEW HIVE 001: New York City

"The Hive Door" by Derrick R. Cruz. 180 jars of pure raw local honey around a 5.5 ft triangular vacancy.Special thanks to Mastodon Creative Construction.

Jars of honey in the wall are for sale at 20 dollars each to benefit Bees Without Borders. To purchase your jar of honey visit The Earnest Sewn Co. at 821 Washington St. NYC or call the store 212-242-3414.

"Examination Hive" by Derrick R. Cruz. Wood, Plexiglas, beeswax, 1950's television tube magnifier, 3,000 honeybees and honeycomb.
"Guardians of the Hive" by Monica Byrne and Cory Gomberg.


"Examination Hive" by Derrick R. Cruz. Detail. Special thanks to John Howe of The Brooklyn Bee for letting his little ones spend the night in our hive.

"Abandoned Comb Monument" by Derrick R. Cruz. 18k gold comb cast directly from honeycomb sculpted by Brooklyn honeybees, encased in translucent honey-lemon sugar pyramid. Smaller versions lie in the chicken wire case with gold honeycomb segments on necklaces floating in honey inside the sugar pyramids. Should someone buy the piece they would have the choice of conserving the object as a whole or engage in the destructive process necessary to reach the object of their desire -- break the sugar, exhume the honey drenched necklace, lick it dry and then proceed to wear it. Special thanks to Papabubble Caramels Artesans.
Detail of gold comb inside sugar pyramid."Abandoned Comb Amulet" solid 18k gold honeycomb necklace.


"Massacre of the Drones" by Ryder E. Robison. Pen and Ink on Paper.


"B.C.E." by Ryder E. Robison. "Break in Case of Emergency," contains Thorax Hammer constructed of bronze and Steller's Sea Cow rib, EpiPen assembled of stainless steel, glass and hand engravings.



"Preliminary Sketch" by Derrick R. Cruz

A NEW HIVE: Tokion Fall 2008

A NEW HIVE: by Derrick R. Cruz Opens July 9th in NYC

New York, NY, 20 June 2008 – As part of its ongoing installation series, Earnest Sewn Co. hosts "A NEW HIVE", an installation at their flagship store in the Meatpacking District of New York City in July of 2008. The work takes the current mysterious and alarming en masse disappearance of honeybee colonies as an opportunity to stage a hyperreal environment in which nature and myth return to influence science and industry, causing balance. “The rich folklore and natural history of honeybees inspires an ethereal childlike curiosity in individuals,” said Derrick R. Cruz. “Curiosity leads to contemplation, internalization, and then to genuine concern. I hope A NEW HIVE will help us regain respect for these amazing creatures; after all, almost everything we eat is made possible by bees.”

Read Full Press Release
"Collective/Individual/Collaboration/Balance" by Derrick R. Cruz

This important and timely event draws New York’s attention to the honeybees’ plight -- Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) -- via project specific apiarian inspired sculpture, drawings, couture, limited edition accessories, curated antiques and live specimens. With this combination, Cruz hopes to begin a visual dialog that will foster a desire to coexist with natural systems rather than exploit them to oblivion. “Its an optimistic place that will help us consider our role in what is shaping up to be a precarious future,” said Cruz. "A NEW HIVE" hopes to continue as a traveling exhibition touching on mayor cities around the world to incorporate local talent and local beekeeping efforts expanding the reach of its message -- the next target cities Los Angeles and Berlin.

The exhibit will include collaborative works by New York’s Derrick R. Cruz, Monica Byrne, Cory Gomberg, Caroline Priebe with Natalie Chanin, Ryder E. Robison. Important participants include The Brooklyn Bee Apiary, Green Oasis Beekeepers of New York, Susanne Goetz, Carlos Peña, Death & Company, Flower Girl, Obscura Antiques and PapaBubble Caramels Artesans.

Read Full Press Release

"Worker Head" by Ryder E. Robison -- Pen and Ink on Paper.

"Mold for a Sugar Pyramid" by Derrick R. Cruz -- Copper

THE DISAPPEARING BEE (COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER)

Honeybees have mysteriously gone missing from their hives all over the world. As of Spring of 2008 nearly a third of U.S. 2.4 million bee colonies have been lost — tens of billions of bees, according to an estimate from the Apiary Inspectors of America. Beekeepers report entire hives abandoned by adult bees who uncharacteristically leftbehind food and bee larvae, the young that develop inside the hive. The scientific community has named the phenomenon “Colony Collapse Disorder” (CCD).



The Brooklyn Bee is just John Howe and some of us friends and volunteers. Thats his rooftop and three hives.

Responsible for pollinating over one-third of our food crops, honeybees are an integral part of our ecology. Total bee extinction would mean that fruit, nut and vegetable plants would not be pollinated, thus food would become scarce. The vanishing of such a pivotal species would immediately take its toll on the global economy having grave and lasting repercussions.

Click here to read more about Colony Collapse Disorder

Why We Need Bees

God Save the Queen! (Häagen-Dazs)