Our 5 Picks of Shakespeare Items on Etsy.com

Do you have an extra hour or two, or say, ten to spare? Log onto Etsy.com, an online marketplace for unique and hand-made items. Hidden within the glass, ceramic, bath & body, jewelry, and vintage items available on the site are some truly unique and artistic Shakespearean pieces. Tens of pages of Shakespeare-related items are for sale but I did the hours of scavenging for you. Here are my top five picks for Shakespeare items available on Etsy.

Photo credit: redheart13/Etsy.com

1. Will Shakespeare and the Gates Christo Central Park New York Photo

Hauntingly beautiful and solemn, this print displays the statue of Shakespeare in New York City’s Central Park with The Gates of 2005 in the background. The statue, which débuted in 1872, was first conceived by a group of actors and theatrical managers. Edwin Booth (whose Shakespearean tie is significant in itself) was a notable part of the committee. Central Park has many Shakespearean links (gardens and a theater), but this print captures a part of Shakespeare not usually shown. Theatrical displays are stripped to show Shakespeare alone, and the solitude of the renaissance playwright reflects tellingly upon the contemporary skyscrapers in the park’s misty background.

2. Shakespeare Quote and Portrait on Small Fused Glass Plate

Ladies: have any of you discovered a both realistic and aesthetically-pleasing way to store and display your jewelry? It seems like my never-ending quest, but recently, I think I found the answer. I am currently displaying my jewelry in various sized and shaped boxes, cups, and plates that I have arranged on my dresser to make it look haphazard. The key is to have ALL of my jewelry available in my line of vision in the morning, or, before I have my coffee, I simply forget that I’ve spent all that time at Tiffany’s. This Etsy Shakespeare item may need to be mine soon. Perfectly slumped-in to better accommodate my standard daily diamond studs and ring, this glass plate fuses Rothko and Shakespeare in a most surprising way, sort of like pretzels and chocolate. It just works. Beautiful, practical, and Shakespearean–who could ask for more? P.S. The quote is from Antony and Cleopatra.

3. Shakespeare’s Reflections Miniature Book with Amazing Anamorphic Mirror Portrait

If loving this book is wrong, then I don’t want to be right. At $395, the craftsmanship of this piece is exquisite. Laser-printed, sewn and folded, the book contains Shakespearean quotes, but the centerpiece is clearly the anamorphic portrait of Shakespeare, a shout-out to renaissance England’s trend of anamorphic portraits, which were painted in a deceiving matter that could only be viewed correctly from a certain angle. See The Ambassadors or the Edward VI painting by Scrots for examples. I guess this is how people entertained themselves before The Real Housewives of New Jersey or Dancing With the Stars were available. The portrait on this book is of Shakespeare and is distorted until it is viewed through its accompanying mirror. And it comes with a cute box. It’s certainly a piece of art and because it is so reflective (pun intended) of English renaissance art, the piece is equally beautiful and thoughtfully made.

4. Handmade Sonnets Volume

As a pretentious, liberal, anglophile, vegetarian, English major, it is my duty to love pretty books. Red Thread Books fits the bill. Sonnets 13-24 and encased in grey Japanese silk and green, patterned, Italian art paper. Molto Bella. The person who makes these books must have a certain special affection for these seven sonnets, but their Etsy description says that they plan to make the books for ALL the sonnets. There is just something about that charming red string–perfect for us English majors, or perhaps Madonna or Gwyneth Paltrow.

5. Venus and Adonis Relic

Thanks to Venus and Adonis, I have developed a life-long fear of wild boars. Living in the American Midwest, I understand my fear may be judged as unjustified. However, I doubt Adonis ever imagined the fate his lower half would have to endure. Anyway, this little necklace is a far cry from some of the tacky “to be or not to be” emo jewelry I’ve seen in my day. The quote is more obscure and the chain is made from a vintage rosary. The tube is a vintage eyeliner tube. Sea salt and dried sea plants chill with the quote in the tube which is painted red on the back. A little silver religious heart also dangles from the aged brass chain. Detect much symbolism? This is a conversation piece to say the least.