Project Breakdown: This box was a project for my 3D design class. The idea was to create a reliquary, or a container for holy objects. For our class specifically we were assigned to find an object important to us. The object I decided to theme by box around is a ring that I got as a gift from my grandmother.
Process: In the image below you can see a process picture of my reliquary. This picture also shows the beginning sketches for my project. As part of the preparation process we had to map out our ideas to scale on to a piece of butcher paper.
We used our to scale drawings to measure and cut out each piece of wood. While putting the box together I added two pyramids one for the lid and one in the inside to hold the ring up. After constructing the whole box I then moved on to outer design.
Color Scheme and Detailing: When considering what the outside of my box would look like I had a tough time coming up with a theme for the outside. In the end I decided to theme the box around butterflies. In my family, it is thought that when someone passes away they come back to watch over you as a butterfly. Seeing as this ring was given to me from my grandmother who has since passed away I thought the theme of butterflies would be a good reminder that she is still watching over me.
As for the color scheme I tried to use a lot of white and silver which ties to the ring inside being metallic. The metallic detailing on the outside of the box also ties back to original reliquaries because many of them used metal exteriors to show the importance of the object inside as well as wealth. To continue, I filled the box with clear beads to enhance the depth of the box.
Reflection: After reflecting on the finished product, I have come to the realization that the shape of the box limited my creativity when closer to the finishing stages of the project. Due to limited time constraints the access of specific tools in the wood shop was limited which in turn pushed me to simplify my original ideas. With further time I would have liked to make the shape of the box more dynamic. I am proud of the overall aesthetic of the reliquary and would be interested in future wood shop experimentation.
