Bot van een hert before 1869

This is an image of a deer bone, created by an anonymous artist. The frontal bone of a deer, a symbol deeply rooted in our collective consciousness, is presented. Deer have been totemic figures across cultures, representing both vulnerability and strength, the hunt and the hunted. Their antlers, which grow and shed annually, echo cyclical renewal. Think of the Celtic Cernunnos, the antlered god of nature, fertility, and animals, a figure of untamed wilderness. Or consider the deer in Christian iconography, often depicted drinking from the streams of paradise, symbolizing the soul's yearning for God. The image is stark. The bone floats in a sea of black. This is a testament to how symbols resonate with the deepest layers of our minds, evoking primal fears and longings. It calls upon the psychological archetype of the animal spirit, bridging the chasm between the human and natural worlds. This bone whispers tales of survival, adaptation, and the enduring dance between life and death, constantly resurfacing through history.