Ianthe Tridentarius: The Locked Tomb

“What can I say…I love a little gall on gall.”

Mixed Media, 2023

3×5 inches, wooden box with brass and glass on top lid, resin, fabric and plastic on inside lid

For this box, I wanted to reflect the differences between the appearance and the truth of the Third House, and so the outside of the box is gilded, with filigree brass stampings and jewels, representing the ostentatiousness and glamour that produced Ianthe and her sister. The inside is a bit more gruesome – I wanted to represent the “arm scene” as concretely as I could, with Ianthe’s iridescent Lyctor robes and her gilded skeleton arm as well as resin “blood.”

The bottom of the box is engraved with the Third House skull, and a piece of the poem, “Three for the gleam of a jewel, or a smile.” The eyes are inset with purple glass cabochons, and the box is raised on feet to protect the carving from getting damaged (and to add a bit more flair of course.)

Stones:

Purple Aura Quartz Tower- representing the Lyctor robes and also her role as a tower prince; represents tumultuousness and a long held doubt of one’s self-worth

Apatite- lies, not being what one appears; brown inclusions for Babs’ eyes

Amethyst- royalty; inner vision; traveling in multiple dimensions (the River)

Fluorite- intelligence, search for knowledge, cleverness

Moonstone- deceit, illusion, the façade of her and Coronabeth as twin necromancers

Bloodstone- boldness, “squashing your cowardice” (reference to her reaction to traveling the River)

Miscellaneous Items:

Glass Cloche with apples, representing Ianthe’s nightstand experiments on stopping decay

Sword Stick Pin with purple and white pearl representing Naberius and his rapier

Brass Key engraved with “Ianthe Tridentarius” and “III”, representing Harrow and Ianthe only being able to call each other by their names and House Titles in private

Friendship Bracelet, purple with gold beads for the Kirianthe friendship we all deserve

Purple silk bag, representing Ianthe’s party dress and the conspiracy of Dios Apate Minor

Potions/Bottles:

Below are the potion bottles included in the box and their contents. The bottles go from left to right in order from 1-6.

  1. The first potion represents Lyctorhood and the events of Harrow the Ninth. Skullcap for her oath to Harrow; deer’s tongue for achieving or being promised power; hibiscus for passion, drive, and insight; chrysanthemum for loss, funerals and the ritual aspect of death while on the Mithraeum; heather for solitude, loneliness, and immortality; bleeding heart for sadness, heartache; snapdragon for deceit and hidden motives; yarrow for showing vulnerability with Harrow; cloves for conspiracy, camaraderie and “girlish solidarity;” lilac for the beginnings of love and dealing with trauma; mugwort for liminality (the river, permeability of the soul) and the period of transition into Lyctorhood; yellow carnation for disillusionment with God and his Lyctors; black salt for feeling transformed or perverted from one’s natural state (rejecting the arm from Augustine). Sealed with light purple wax, gold ink, and skeleton hand stamp.
  2. The second potion is about Coronabeth, and Ianthe’s relationship with her. Contains larkspur for devotion; lisianthus for lifelong bonds, love, beauty and royalty; cypress for grief, crying at night; violet for glamour, having to be someone else or hide who you are; pink carnation for sisters, remembrance, and betrayal; dogwood for keeping secrets and unclear intentions; zinnia for missing someone dear to you; hydrangea for cruelty and codependency, as well as arrogance, Ianthe assuming she knows Corona’s game. Sealed with dark purple wax, gold ink, and crown stamp.
  3. The third bottle represents the Third House (aka Babs is here too). Garnet for family ties, commitment, and the necro/cav oath; foxglove for insincerity, insecurity, Ianthe never being good enough for the Third; licorice root for power imbalance between the twins and Naberius; eucalyptus for the weight of tradition and obligation; pansy for duty but also the sham/façade of propriety; aconite for chivalry and the cavalier oath, but also for strife and infighting; nettle for cruelty, slander, gossip, and barbs; barberry for magic and sorcery but also for sourness and perversion; vervain for family conflict. Sealed with dark purple wax, gold ink, and skull stamp.
  4. Number four is all about Canaan House, and contains lavender for distrust and suspicion; yellow rose for lies and betrayal of Corona; rosemary for cunning, reverse engineering the Lyctor trials; tiger eye for shrewdness, determination; peony for having a passion for knowledge, having the River as a whole secret area of expertise, and for victory/getting what you want at all costs; gladiolus for strategy, planning, focus and foresight, and representing victory by the sword. Sealed with light purple wax, gold ink, and key stamp, and also contains the quote, “I would not draw attention from the necromancer of the Third House.”
  5. The fifth potion represents Ianthe as Tower Prince Ianthe Naberius, and explores her relationship with God. Marigold for confidence and playing strategy; lavender for doubt, distrust and knowing that John doesn’t like her as much as Harrow; sage for clarity and insight, being one of the few people to see John as a man and not a god; dandelion for viewing John as a means to an end instead of someone to be worshipped; purple tulip for opportunity, taking advantage of someone’s weakness or distress; Sealed with a brass crown setting and amethyst cabochon.
  6. Small vintage fragrance bottle containing Vetiver, Rose and Musk perfume. Sealed with original lid and an iridescent purple pearl. “You smelled the reek of sweat and perfume: musk, rose, vetiver.”