In the late 1920s, Rene Lalique began manufacturing glass
clocks titled Day
and Night.
To get the contrast of shading, he carved the female Night out of the
back, while leaving the male Day raised as an intaglio, also on the
back. The raised
figure caught the light available in the room, while the sunken figure did
not. These expensive clocks were available in purple, blue,
or reddish- amber.
Why have so many artists consistently chosen to personify
Night as female,
and Day as male? Does it go back to ancient mythology with
male sun gods and
female moon gods? Does it go back even earlier to
associations of women's
body cycles with cycles of the moon? Or is there something
strong, direct and
masculine about the day--but something more femininely subtle, and less
blatantly energetic about the night? Whatever the reason, the
theme has a long
history.