S e c r e t s

A pretty black and white kitty curls up in a straw hat. In England, straw is valuable not only for hats, but also for thatched roofs. Corn and wheat are not harvested by a big, noisy combine, which would cut the stems to pieces, but by small tractors pulling Victorian “sail reapers.” On the interior is a “corn dolly,” usually woven from the last sheaf to be harvested and symbolizing the spirit that lives in the plant. In the spring the doll is ploughed into the earth again. Some cryptic numbers are found inside the lid: 7 ¾ + 7 ¼ = 21. David’s hat size is 7 ¾, his wife Sue’s is 7 ¼ and 21 is the number of years they’ve been married. The artists’ signature acorn is concealed in the rose bouquet on the front of the hat. This is the 113th carving David Lawrence has made for Harmony Kingdom.