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Valentine for Simon Mayes

Greetings Card
1999 (made)
Artist/Maker
Davis, Janet (artist)
Place of origin
Great Britain (made)

The labyrinth motif on the front of this mosaic valentine by Janet Davis is a visual pun on the name of its recipient (Mayes/maze). It also evokes the traditional "lover's knot" of early handmade valentines and the garden imagery of Tudor and Jacobean love poetry. The shared interests of the lovers (an art historian and an archaeologist) are further symbolised in the designs impressed in copper on the reverse of the valentine, which are based on altars at the Mithras, a Roman site in Carrawburgh, Northumberland, which they had visited together.

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Object details

Category
Greeting Cards
Object type
Greetings card
TitleValentine for Simon Mayes (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Appliqué and mosaic of vitreous tesserae, grout, velvet, kapok stuffing, polyester thread, embossed copper foil, brass hinges and various adhesives on marine plywood base
Brief description
Mosaic valentine by Janet Davis
Physical description
Diptych of two square panels. On the front, a mosaic depicting a circular maze with a padded red velvet heart at the centre. Inside and back encased with copper foil impressed with various designs and lettering.
Dimensions
  • Height: 25cm
  • Closed width: 25.8cm
  • Open width: 51.1cm
Production typeUnique
Marks and inscriptions
  • THE GARDEN OF LOVE WELL-TENDED, GROWS AND FLOURISHES (In raised letters arranged in a heart shape, inside front.)
  • TO SIMON, THE PATH OF TRUE LOVE IS SOMETIMES CIRCUITOUS, BUT IF I CAN REACH THE HEART OF THE MAZE THE JOURNEY IS WORTHWHILE. ALL MY LOVE, JANET XXX (In raised letters arranged in a spiral, inside back.)
  • SUMMER SOLSTICE / AT THE MITHRAEUM (In raised letters above and below the image, on the back.)
Credit line
Given by the artist
Subjects depicted
Love
Altars
Hearts
Mazes
Spirals
Place depicted
Carrawburgh
Summary
The labyrinth motif on the front of this mosaic valentine by Janet Davis is a visual pun on the name of its recipient (Mayes/maze). It also evokes the traditional "lover's knot" of early handmade valentines and the garden imagery of Tudor and Jacobean love poetry. The shared interests of the lovers (an art historian and an archaeologist) are further symbolised in the designs impressed in copper on the reverse of the valentine, which are based on altars at the Mithras, a Roman site in Carrawburgh, Northumberland, which they had visited together.
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.928-2000

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Record createdMarch 17, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O201358/valentine-for-simon-mayes-greetings-card-davis-janet/
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