Vigo County Historical Society

Symbolism of wreath makes collection more meaningful

Sharing one’s collection is the richest dividend any collector can enjoy. With this in mind, I was pleased to lend out family collection of miniature wreaths to the Vigo County Historical Museum for the holiday season.

This collection began with the little wreaths created for the museum sales desk by Rosette "Rosie" Owens, an active member of the Friends of the Museum in the late 1970s.

The first ones I purchased were meant to be a part of our home holiday decorations, but it was not very long before I began receiving others from family members and friends as gifts.

Soon, my husband Bill and I started looking for wreaths as we browsed through shops on our travels at home and abroad. Now a collection of more than 500 hang on 2 1/2-inch wide ribbons.

These wreaths are not limited to the Christmas theme. Some reflect other holidays, a few feature family members, and many are souvenirs from other places. Hanging them each year brings back memories of past events and experiences.

Two outstanding ones were made by Della Gachupin, one of our daughter Mary Forner’s students who lives in the Jemez Pueblo not from Albuquerque, NM Mary asked her to make a pottery wreath in 1983, but first Delia had to check to see if a wreath design was permissible according to tribal traditions. Fortunately it was, and now there are two in the collection.

The challenge, the search and the acquisition are exciting to every collector, but a deeper understanding of the items in the collection must exist to give respect to the process.

The symbolism of the wreath makes this collection especially meaningful--the endless circle has represented eternal life and love for centuries, a significant reminder in this year of Sept. 11.

You are invited to stop by and view this display in the front room of the museum.