The Merchant of Venice was first performed around 1595; a difficult play, a great drama yet a modern controversy. Within the major drama, a romantic sub plot between Jessica and Lorenzo is played out, from which this tender quote is taken: How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank! Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music Creep in our ears: soft stillness and the night Become the touches of sweet harmony The quotation is spelt out in the symbolic Braille system. Louis Braille was born in Coupvray in France in 1809. He himself was blind from the age of three, and in 1818 went as a foundling to the Institute for the Young Blind in Paris. Showing an ability in both science and music, he became famous in Paris as an organist and cellist. In 1828 Braille began teaching the blind in the Institute, and he conceived the idea of modifying the Barbier point writing system, used for encoded army messages, to enable the blind to read. Point writing consisted of embossed dots and dashes on cardboard. The Braille system was derived from it, and continues to be used today, in slightly modified form, in many countries. This piece of jewelry is encoded using the American Braille System Grade 3, which incorporates some abbreviations, rather than a literal transposition of letters.

Sterling Silver