The history of this piece is long and complex. A fashion photograph published in Harper’s Bazaar served as the original inspiration for the figure, created around 1972. That figure kicked about in my studio for 36 years. Because of her primordial and austere nature, I began referring to her as Eve. My sister Nancy, a Christian fond of Byzantine icons, was acquainted with certain Catholic writings that equate the Virgin Mary with the Eve of Genesis. She created a Byzantine inspired beadwork veil and crown for the figure, transforming it into an icon of Mary, the redeemed Eve. My Eve, inspired by Eros and the fashion industry, was made by a non-believer, thus my statue was redeemed by my sister. Consequently the work has three aspects: Eve of the origin of the world (in the cosmic egg), Eve of the fall, and Eve as Mary.