Erni Bar: The Legend of The Golden Hoop

[Dean aka Artist in Seine]

Little is known about The Legend of The Golden Hoop except for this painting on the ceiling in the State Room of the Palace of the Ducs, in Dijon, France.  You can't even find it on Google.

The Golden Hoop represents a snake biting its tail.  Yep, you guess it, The Ouroboros, from the Greek (οὐροβόρος ὄφις tail-devouring snake) is an ancient symbol.

The Ouroboros often symbolizes self-reflexivity or cyclicality, especially in the sense of something constantly re-creating itself.

Experts often disagree if the Golden Hoop ever really existed.  There has never been any proof until now.  The mystery started a week ago when I received a letter from the Post Office stating that the building where I live doesn't exist.  After a few e-mails and phone calls, the package finally arrived.  But could this really be the Golden Hoop?  With the postage being 41.99 euros ($56.21 USD, that's like 20 Happy Meals+ one milk shake), it very well could be.

I was excited, imagine the Golden Hoop in my hands and that ancient legend finally solved.  But at first glimpse, it didn't look gold.  But it did have ancient words of wisdom engraved.

After more cutting, I discovered that this was not the Golden Hoop after all.  It was a bicycle wheel rim with the following inscription; "Well der Artist in Seine.  It ain't easy being creative and original all the time.  I'm pretty sure you know that well enough.  I've found the "Bicycle Wheel" somewhere in the street.  It's now yours.  better not show it to "serious" folks.  They would most probably advise you to throw it away.

  A wonderful example of Ouroboros and extreme Mail Art.  To me it's worth more than a Golden Hoop, but it would have been nice to solve that legend I made up.

Thank you Ouroboros Erni.  I am forever in debt to you.  PS: More photos to come.  I ran out of space.

[Mim Golub Scalin]

Amazing! The hoop is yours!

The most I've spent to Mail Art is about $22 USD.

[Valentine Mark Herman]

Please send me a Rolls Royce, but if you can't afford one (plus the postage) a Bentley will do.

Thank you.

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

That was "Extreme Mail Art" that arrived safely!

My "extreme" was not so extreme...just this:

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Aw, Edmund really likes it!

...no need to "think" about what mail art items InSeine has sent,

I "see" it :-) 

(remember this saw? A real sharp, metal saw....no envelope either!)

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

"cyclicality"? 'thar ya goooooo..........................................

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Definitely went to the right recipient...and well worth all every euro in postage! Wow!

Wonderful "Extreme Mail Art"! 

(...and might come in handy for the tour de France one year???)

[Dean aka Artist in Seine]

Nearly there.

Opened at last.