The Bow truly is the innovation that subdued our species. Transformed us from wild wonderers to social builders. The Bow pre-dates agriculture, and is more significant than the development of the written word. Could our societies exist today without the invention of the Bow?

Did Michelangelo understand the power of this tool to bend this world to his vision? To shape history as David shaped the Hebrew nation?

Within an afterthought, the briefest of prose, he writes:

Davicte cholla Fromba e io collarcho, Michelagniolo
David with his sling, I with the bow, Michelangelo

David with his sling, I with the bow….  With this simple tool, Michelangelo transformed metamorphic rock Epochs old, into a cultural statement that defined his time and continues today to reflect our humanity… Within David’s eyes is revealed the strength, the confidence that we all have to chose our own path.

Michelangelo had a personal connection to the Bow. Specifically, the Bow Drill, a tool that he used with such precision as to render completely natural the flowing contours of fabric and locks of curly hair. Continue reading →