India

Wanderlust

in

Wanderlust

During my trip to India I also found old Indian keys from a junk shop that were tossed in with other odds and ends. I loved one key that was clearly hand-crafted with too much solder near the top of the key and imprints that remind me that it had opened and closed many doors.

On one of Udaipur, India’s cow-laden streets I found a market that offered an assortment of wooden henna tattoo stamps.  Henna art form – also called Mendhi – has been practiced for centuries in India, Africa and the Middle East to decorate the body with sacred symbols of culture and mysticism. I have taken these images and made them into pendants.

For me, all of the pieces represent India’s constant motion and color with its fluctuation of emotions caused by a constant entanglement of extremes. I particularly remember my experience at the Monkey Temple in Jaipur one early evening. I walked up a hill to be greeted by grazing cows, hogs and homeless dogs, unaffected by the human traffic and oddly cohabitating. Muslim prayer calling, deep and rhythmic, could be heard emanating from the mosques. Just as the sound began to fade, Hindu chanting swooped in as if planned. I reached the top of the hill and stood shoeless in the temple watching a monkey family watching the city unfold in the distance.

The jewelry I made from this time reminds me of that day that rolled from city chaos into sublime chanting and fading light.

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Peacock Henna Stamp Pendant

Indian Peacock Henna Stamp Pendant. A symbol of fertility. $220 - $615 see product details »



India Key

Key into India $100 - $550 see product details »



Shiva Pendant Necklace

Shiva the destroyer…in a good way. The hindu god for our inner yogis and new beginnings. $120 - $130 see product details »



Ganesh Pendant Necklace

The Hindu god to help us overcome obstacles. Who doesn't need a little help? $150 - $350 see product details »



Buddha Pendant Necklace

Buddha coin 'peace' for when you just can't make it to the Bodhi tree. $110 - $493 see product details »


Deities

in

Deities

My travels to India inspired jewelry that aims to reflect the spiritual nature of the country from Mumbai to Udaipur, Jaipur and Delhi.

Every town offered brilliant textiles, impressive traditional crafts and various forms of garments found in “ethnic” stores here in the US. The challenge wasn’t trying to find the markets (they were ubiquitous), it was discovering something not mass-produced while navigating through the hectic streets, regal temples, street-side shrines, beeping rickshaws, choking pollution, breathtaking poverty and awe-inspiring survival and celebration.  

I made a series of pendants that resulted from a day I wandered pretty clueless in Mumbai looking for something that was just bound to catch my eye. My friend and I finally came across the "gold market” where I drank way too much Chai tea while trying to get the vendors to show me something interesting. By mistake, they pulled out silver Buddha, Shiva and Ganesha pieces that were worthless to most people, but treasures to me. The Buddha sits patiently as only the Buddha can, Shiva is active --  ready to destroy and rebuild -- as Ganesha inspires good fortune.

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