Lilyfield
If the two lobes in a single form on the signet are recognized as a bulb and a bud at opposite ends of a lily stem then the full, curvilinear pictograph of the signet can be seen as a lily field. In the symbolic field, time is represented as the regenerative interplay between past and present. From one springtime to the next, nothing changes, yet everything changes. The flowers reappear as before but they are completely different blooms. After reaching for the sun, stems gracefully bow to the the earth. Hidden below the surface of the ground, bulbs split and separate, invisibly expanding the lily field’s range. As Picts absorbed the Christian religion into their faith, the worship of nature included the worship of Christ. The modern celebration of Easter, in which the lily plays a central role, has roots in the abstract graphic pattern of the signet, making the holiday a classic example of life imitating art.