A pair of white asparagus, hand-carved in lime wood by a Bavarian wood carving master family in their 15th generation of sculpting religious figures, is surrounded by a polished brass ring. The whole structure reveals a latin cross shape when it is seen at one’s certain eye level. The wooden sculptures have partly metamorphosed, with a young male head sprouting and staring up in awe. The facial expression suggests a longing for something, perhaps a miracle or affection, but the desire remains ambiguous, suspended between the communion of the miniature figure.

White asparagus, one of the most beloved vegetables in German speaking regions, known as Spargel, came to Europe from Asia, Middle East, and Northern Africa, and they were introduced to the current German territories through the ancient Roman food culture. Every year the vegetable, dubbed as “white gold,” was traditionally harvested from a springtime in April strictly until the 24th of June, the ancient northern European summer solstice that coincides with the feast day of Saint John the Baptist. He is believed to have been beheaded by Herod Antipas at his stepdaughter Salome’s request. The human head of the sculpture is designed on the basis of historical paintings of the saint.