Reincarnation

Gilgul, the Hebrew concept of reincarnation, is the rebirth of a soul in the body of another. This process is repeated in a series of stages to achieve further spiritual refinement. Its chief expression is not seen in Biblical or Rabbinic writings, but in Kabbalistic works, notably the Zohar. The Zohar claims that if one had lived a righteous life filled with mitzvoth (good deeds), one might return in the body of an even more pious individual. The converse is also true: a life filled with sin might result in a return to the body of an animal or even an inanimate object.

This piece stands as a representation of this concept. The individual objects that comprise this piece had different lives and purposes in the past. The skull and the horn belonged to living mammals, while the broom, saw, wire brush, brake pad and other metal items had functioned as inanimate objects.

Now, by coming together in an integrated form, they achieve a new identity, reaching a higher level in this stage of their reincarnation.