Koi Roliquery by Amy Brier

Working in the art world brings surprises everyday! Here at Artful Home we work with so many accomplished artists who have such diverse skills and techniques. I actually thought that I was beginning to get my arms around a lot of this until Amy Brier submitted her roliqueries. No, not reliquaries, those containers for scared relics, but roliqueries!

This is a made-up word that captures the essence of what these objects are- carved stone balls that one rolls in sand in order to make interesting impressions.

For Amy carving these stone balls with various figures is only half of the art process; her work is complete when the user comes along and rolls it to make the impressions in the sand.

With a BFA in sculpture, Amy fell in love with stone carving while on assignment in Manhattan, where she worked on both limestone interior & exterior ornamentation for Cathedral of St. John on the upper West Side. Using only a hammer and chisel, she perfected her ability to carefully carve intricate detail, which she now has taken into her unusual roliqueries.

So what do you do with a roliquery? Some use them as a stress reliever. Its therapeutic effect has placed it in an Alzheimer’s facility as a stimulus for its "guests". For me it’s a really neat and creative way to use what is on its own an incredible piece of sculpture. Whether rolling in sand or perched in an elegant stand, the roliquery is cool art!