Living from 1564 until 1642, Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei was an Italian astronomer, mathematician, physicist, philosopher, and professor who made pioneering observations of nature with long-lasting implications for the study of physics. His work was acknowledged and held in regard by Thomas Jefferson and his peers. Our handmade ornament Galileo is a nod to a man who was a controversial figure in his lifetime, now considered the father of modern science.