THE GOLDEN BAUTA

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The Golden Bauta, or ‘Kjærleiksbauta'

'A Monument to Love ' is a contemporary sculptural response to the traditional standing stone or Bauter used throughout Scandinavia as a means of commemorating significant people, places and events. Constructed out of a specialist boatbuilding material sourced from a lifeboat manufacturer based on the west coast of Norway, it combines the latest high technology with centuries old philosophy and meaning. The artist has created a fusion of form and message using engraved geometric symbols, comprised of simple angles that incorporate early engraved writing techniques as found across many ages and cultures.

The front surface of the piece illustrates the artist's rendition of an inscription found in 1955 at Bryggen in Bergen, now part of the Norwegian national runic archive.

The original engraving '' Love conquers all .... we yield to love '' is carved in 13th century Norwegian runic form and is a translation of the Roman poet Virgil's Eclogues written in 50 BC. Virgil's work references the style of Theocritus a Greek poet writing around 270 BC.
They are both heavily influenced by Homer writing in the 9th century BC and establishing the legend of the Golden Age. This was an idealised time of man's innocence and perfect harmony with the World and a pre- Biblical version of the Garden of Eden.

The artist has connected the Runic letters in way inspired by Kufic text, another pre cursive writing style from the same period. This text is to be seen on Arabic coins found in Viking burial sites in Norway and across Scandinavia, and was used for writing the Quran until the 12th century. It is a strictly controlled angular text containing primarily right angles that closely resembles and has been used in conjunction with the Phags-pa seal script from Asia.

While the Buddhist ideology originated in India, it was not given a consistent form until established in China in the 5th century.

In the 13th century the Chinese Emperor Kublai Khan issued the creation of the the Phags- pa as the official seal script to unify the territories that spread over China, Mongolia, Tibet, across Russia, Persia and as far as eastern Europe.

This style is used on the reverse side of the sculpture. It illustrates a Buddhist prayer or Mani Mantra , pronounced - om mani padme hum - this is the mantra of Avalokiteshvara. In our modern times the sacred Mani mantra could not be more applicable in meaning and benefit. It embodies Loving-kindness and understanding, containing six syllables each purifying and converting negative emotions into wisdom.

These methods of writing have crossed over at various points in time. As the Vikings spread Runic forms across Europe and the Middle East so the Mongol armies took this seal script with them across Asia into Arabia. In this sculpture they are used to create three dimensional patterns containing a common message that transcends language.

The Golden Bauta, or ‘ Kjærleiksbauta ' exhibited as part of love airway X has been reserved for purchase by Kvinnherad Kommune to be put on permeant display after its return to Norway from the USA in 2015.