Welcome to Iron & Abundance.
This is the story of a lifetime thread, a quiet, crimson line of folklore that leads me back to the soul of my home, no matter how far I wander.
When I moved onto a narrowboat, space became my most precious currency. Life on the canal demands a certain ruthlessness; every object must earn its place, or be left on the towpath. Yet, I never once questioned the wooden carving that now hangs in my galley: my Cesto d’Abbondanza.
A Legacy from Turin
This plaque belonged to my grandparents in Turin. My grandmother always told me that a Cesto ensures you never go without, it is a “Basket of Plenty,” overflowing with carved pears, apples, and olives.
Decades of Northern Italian cooking have slightly dulled the finish, and my own years at the stove have added to that deep, storied patina. When my grandparents passed away, this was the first thing I reached for. I didn’t fully understand the pull then, but I knew instinctively that a kitchen without a Cesto simply wouldn’t feel like a home.
L’Anima della Casa: The Soul of the House
Now, as I sit on Nb Loveday with a tea in hand and the fire roaring, I listen to the boat creaking in rhythm with the water. I’ve begun to wonder: why does this single piece of fruitwood feel like such a heavy anchor?
In Northern Italy, we believe in L’anima della casa, the soul of the house. I have moved many, many times over the years, finally settling here on the water, yet the “soul” has always stayed with the plaque. It is more than a memory; I feel it protecting me from above, sending a steady pulse of positivity that reaches far beyond the galley walls. It is a silent, wooden promise: as long as it hangs there, the light stays in and the shadows stay out.
Fixing the Blessing into Steel
This blessing is the bridge between my past in Turin and my present in the English landscape, where I work alongside Stewart at the jewellery bench.
The hand-forged steel nails Stewart strikes and the carving on my wall are actually telling the same story. They are both tools used to “fix” a blessing into place. While my Cesto pins abundance to the wall of my boat, our steel jewellery pins that same protection to the wearer. They are both physical anchors for an intentional, protected life.
Welcome to Iron & Abundance.
Welcome to Iron & Abundance. This is a series about the folklore we carry across borders, and the symbols we use to shield the things we love.
