I’m recovering from a dental adventure that’s had me out of commission the last few days — a scheduled molar extraction on Friday morning. I thought the 90+ minutes in the chair (local anaesthetic only) was the worst of it, and that once I got home I could curl up with the pain meds and expect some coddling and custard and what soft foods he could muster. And he did well, my guy, with the coddling and the soft foods (I made my own custard. Well, me and Bird’s Eye 😉 . . . but the next morning, after having dutifully taken the painkiller, anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic as prescribed, three doses each . . . I began a hideous two days of gut issues (bloating, cramping, nausea), even though I stopped the meds cocktail as soon as I made a connection and checked with the dental office. The symptoms have lessened considerably today, but ugh! I suspect I might not be the only one who finds her bounce-back factor considerably reduced these days.
Anyway, enough of that, as I distract myself by sharing (as promised last post) more photos of the horse tethering rings I so enjoyed seeing in Siena this past November. I think most of the shapes must be related to symbols of Siena’s contrade (see a list of these here), but in some cases I either can’t see the connection or I’m misconstruing it. It also seems possible to me that some of the shapes and symbols might have other significance — perhaps denoting the family crest of the residence’s owner, for example.
This dragon, however, seems pretty clearly representative of the Drago.
Not so sure about this one, although it puts me in mind of (NO, not that!) those Sicilian pine cone ceramics that signify home hospitality. . .
And this one might be the Tower (Torre) without the elephant that it usually rides on? Or am I stretching?
I sketched these two pages (from photos I’d taken) back at the kitchen table in our little “garden suite.” Unfortunately, I (once again!) used too much water to wash over the non-waterfast ink, but I’m still fairly pleased with the little sketches (and I especially like the effect of drawing them on a prepared watercolour “frame”). You can find photos on this page of the subjects that inspired each little sketch.
A simpler variation on that straight-up theme. . . (I’ve also found photos online (Google Images) that suggest some of this columns once supported elephants or snails.)
And this is another I can’t directly tie to a contrada, and wonder if it might rather testify to something about the particular building’s owner or use. As well, perhaps it’s connected to the Spadaforte (strong sword) contrada which was apparently abolished in 1729 and its area absorbed into that of Leocorne and Torre.
But since I’m merely guessing here, shall I try to distract you with a closer view of one of those travel journal pages?
Still more rings for which I can’t identify a contrada, but admire nonetheless. I think I need to incorporate that geometrical decoration, the angles and dots, into one of my sketches — perhaps as a border around a page?
I think this is a pomegranate (no obvious contrada connection); again that graphic design incised into the metal. . .
I’m going to abandon the speculation now, and simply admire the art and craft while imagining what it might have been like to walk down these narrow streets when horses were tethered along the way. . .
A closer view of that second page above.
A few times we came upon multiple and rhythmic repetitions of a symbol — so pleasing! Little stories everywhere (if only I knew how to read them).
No idea, either, what’s the story with this fellow (if you know, I’d love to hear!) but he’s apparently intended as a door knocker. Still, if you needed to leave your horse for a few minutes while you ran into the 7-11 for a litre of milk, he’d probably hold fast enough. . .
Finally, a few pages I added to my travel journal just last week, from photos. First, a photo:
If you can decipher my text, you’ll see that I did some guessing about this creature
and I thought I might have figured it out . . . until I came across a photo (see top of this post) that was so obviously a dragon there could be no doubt. . . . So that I went back to look at the list of contrade symbols again, and saw that one of those was a dolphin, the symbol for the Onda (Wave) contrada.
So I’ve amended the pages accordingly. . . .
And that’s it for Siena’s horse tethering rings. Hope you enjoyed this little tour of a city I’m planning to visit again, fairly soon. But that’s a tale for another post. . . .
Comments welcome, as always. I’d love to know, for example, if you’ve seen other examples, elsewhere, of this kind of blacksmith artistry. Also open to any dental commiseration . . . but honestly, I don’t need huge lashings of sympathy. I include my account of tooth repair and protesting body simply in the interest of “keeping it real.” And then with any luck, I can move on. . . Incrociamo le dita (let’s cross our fingers!).
Your dental experience is interesting . I had an extraction a few years ago & the only medication recommended was strong painkillers . I thought I was sorted then a few days later I developed ‘ dry socket ‘ which was dreadfully painful . After a horrible weekend I was back to my ( tried & trusted ) dentist who packed the socket with some painkiller it & it settled down . I wonder if your ‘ cocktail ‘ was to prevent that ? I’m glad you’re feeling better .
All that metalwork is wonderful , such craftsmanship & your sketches capture it so well . Those old artisans would be flattered . I also love wet stone pavements .
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I’ve heard of “dry socket” and you have all my belated sympathy for having endured this! The emptied socket in my case was packed tightly with material to facilitate an eventual implant (and then sutured) — apparently dry socket is even less likely in this case. It seems most likely I had a response to the antibiotic.
Frances,I’m so sorry and hope that you are well now! Kudos for your chef and temporary carer!
Siena photos and sketches are always welcome
Love,
Dottoressa
Author
Thanks, K!
After years of dealing with deep pockets (the most ironically named dental issue) and bone loss and the associated procedures, I also remember molar extraction as in and out in under thirty minutes and take some Tylenol. Your case was clearly more complicated! Just from the time in the chair and all the follow up drugs (and swallowing blood can upset your stomach as well). Glad to hear you are on the mend, even if slowly.
Love seeing your photos and your text. I finally got a new phone and the camera is, well, much improved since 2015, shall we say. I resolve to try harder to take more photos. I’m off in a week and if I can’t take good pictures while I’m in the most beautiful place in the world with no one to distract me I am really beyond hope.
‘Sicilian pine cone’ is a very sophisticated euphemism, I wonder if it will catch on? Ha!
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Ha, that is an ironic term! (Also Ha!, we could try introducing the euphemism . . . you could wonder, for example, if they grow in Venice?)
And yes, I know when my kids and husband had their wisdom teeth removed, those sessions never seemed to take any longer for all four teeth to be pulled than my single ancient molar (which had a root-canal done almost 50 years ago and has worn two crowns since — fragile tooth in strong bone, he said. Many little pieces).
So excited for your trip — Seems to me like a perfect time to be in Venice, before the crowds but with some of the winter grey lifting just enough. . . With your new phone camera, I’m guessing you’ll grab some magical images. Never mind amped-up fluency in Italian! Buon viaggio!
I’m cringing just thinking about your dental and tummy woes. I hope that you are feeling better. And that no more visits to the dentist are required for a while.
Oh, I love, love, love these tethering rings and your sketches of them. I wish that I could book a trip to Siena right away, so that I could see them all in person. Since I cannot, I am so pleased to have seen them through your post. Lovely.
I’m going to do some self-promotion in the interest of sharing my Venetian hardware post and another post about Venice, should you feel like wandering through them. No pressure to do so at all. This one is the Venetian hardware: https://seasaltandsailorstripes.com/favorite-things-venetian-hardware/ and this is about the trip to Venice: https://seasaltandsailorstripes.com/visiting-venice-italy/. I would love to be heading back to Italy.
You are making me feel that I should bring a sketchbook with me the next time that I go. I used to do that years ago, but on our very short trips, I found myself on the move so much that I didn’t stop to use the sketchbook. However, retirement looms in the future and all sorts of possibilities open up.
Your sketches bring so much personality to your travel tales and I love to see the pages. Thank you for sharing them.
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Thank you for including those two lovely posts about Venice! It reminded me of our few days there and of how much I’d love to go back. Like that Georgia (commenter just above you) is doing!
I strongly encourage you to bring a sketchbook — I do find it difficult to make time for it, but making that time often makes such a difference to my enjoyment (and, I think, to my husband’s as well). Leaving room for sketching is also leaving room for seeing and absorbing and committing to memory in a very rich and effective way. The concentrated observation that a sketch requires is a great antidote to some of the stress that travel can cause. . .
I should show some pages from the tiny, inexpensive, plain-paper sketchbook I kept in my bag with a pen. Waiting for a server to take your order or sipping your spritz, you can sketch what’s on the table in front of you or the architectural wonder across the square — you’d be surprised how much the marks you get onto the page bring back all the sensory memories later.
I shared your last post with my daughter which she enjoyed and reminded me that she had been in
Sienna herself a few years ago. Your sketches are lovely. My own particular dental nightmare involves two implants which were to replace an old bridge which had failed. after many years. Due to covid ,what was to be a 3-6 month procedure ended up taking two years. I was lucky in that it was not especially painful except right after the surgeries as expected but the who thing seemed never ending. Hope you are feeling better.
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Thanks for sharing the post — I’m love knowing that my words and photo enhanced a conversation with your daughter!
Ugh on those two implants and the Covid interruptions — I had to have two root canals done when dental offices opened again after that first serious lockdown in 2020. In retrospect, I’m so glad the problems hadn’t advanced to abcess level before I could have them seen to!! Teeth!
I think I have quite a few of those photos myself! I fell in love with the tetherings in Siena!
I hope you’re beginning to feel better💜
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I knew I couldn’t be the only one! And thank you, yes, a bit better each day.