The Broken Gates of Gondor: Rammas Echor

Flora: Rose Variety: Royal Delirium Materials: Copper, Steel, Glass, LED's, electronics, solar cells 'The Broken Gates of Gondor: Ramas Echor' grew out of a collaboration between Sunbrothers and James Austin of Alchemy Metalworks In the story of The Lord of the Rings, there is an area controlled by kingly men, called Gondor. The capital of Gondor is a fortress called Minas Tirith, and this becomes the site of the ultimate battle of Good vs. Evil over control of Middle Earth. The first layer of defense, if one were to try and overtake Minas Tirith, as the Evil forces attempted in the story, is a wall... over 10 leagues in length. This "outer wall" is called "Rammas Echor" by the men of Gondor. The outer layers of defense, starting with Rammas Echor, were penetrated. Ultimately, the destruction of the wall worked against the forces of Evil, for the horse riders of neighboring Rohan rode through the broken wall two days after the battle began and attacked from behind, while the men of Minas Tirith defended the fortress, and the Evil army was caught in between. The Evil forces were utterly destroyed and the rightful king of men was crowned atop Minas Tirith under the White Tree. An age of peace was ushered in, and the story ended. In another mythology, we imagine a broken section of wall left as a memorial to that battle. Stone crumbled, iron twisted, the years slowly erode this surviving piece of Rammas Echor. A gate post, with a forged ring to tie up a rider's mount, is blasted and torn, a vivid reminder of the power from the tide of battle. As the years pass and the Rammas fades into memory, a solitary rose takes root and grows on the rocky substrate. Windswept and wild, the rose struggles to survive, its many thorns a warning to those who would challenge its home. Like the Rammas, the plant is battered and torn. But on one side, where the old twisted iron offers protection, the rose can grow, and indeed thrive, on this ancient symbol of struggle. This is the first piece in a series. Each piece in "The Broken Gates of Gondor" will represent another gate. The outer layers, starting with Rammas Echor, will lie in ruin, while the inner layers will show that they held fast. Ultimately leading up to the White Tree. $14,000