Afghan Jewellery: or the Beauty of Archaic Art

There is something so alluring and feminine about Afghan Jewellery. Since discovered by the Hippie movement no festival and no Indian Summer can be imagined without it. The heavy and still elegant pieces can easily combined with any kind of western urban chic to unleash the gipsy princess within...

I am so happy thet I found the webshop of saneens where you can order all kind of Aghan jewellery, but also Antiques and traditional Afghan garments (there will be an extra post on these, stay tuned!).

I can only recomend this shop, they ship worldwide and really fast, plus they have a super friendly customer service in English .. just ask then anything!

Plus ... shhhh, this is our secret ;-) ... they offer a special discount for all Anarkali readers.

Use this coupon code at the ceckout to save 10% on you order!!

CI7622LNL3B6

 Are you still here? What are you waiting for! Rush to www.saneens.com!

Pendant with metal tassels

Earrings with small bells and coloured glass beads

Adornment for braids, can als be used as rings

Tikka of forehead adornement

Lapislazuli bangle

Bracelets 

Bracelets and headpiece

Picture credits: pictures 1, 3, 5, 6 from saneens.com

So African, so Ethical, so Chic: Fabric Jewellery from Toubab Paris

Jewellery from Paris, made in Africa.
TOUBAB PARIS is the brainchild of Maud Villaret. Africa has alsways been a wonderful source of inspiratioon for her, where now the fabrics (wax) come from that she uses in her unique créations. All pieces are made by hand from local artisans in Burkina Faso. Her ethical approach coinvolves also centers for disabled workers in France as well as the association "Caravansérail Developpement" that offers help to socially and economically challenged immigrant women.
Have a look at the blog for the latest news!
Buy the products here.

Crochet Necklace Summer Series

Last week I created a new series with crochet necklaces. It was so much fun making them! I used coloured copper wire and sparkling czech glassbeads.

The necklaces have two or three strands and suit day outfit as well as an evening gown. The crocheted wire makes them look very airy, but combined with delicate freshwater pearls they have a very elegant and precious look.

This last piece I love best - wire is light grey and I have combined it with pale salmon freshwater pearls, iridescent white and grey czech beads and some light brown crackled glass beads.

A book like a jewel - Ariake

Don't you cut the brush
Growing on the riverbank
High above Saho River;
Leave it as it is,
So when spring comes araound
We'll have a place to hide.

Lady Ôtomo of Sakanue

While I asked myself

Whether you might be coming
Or I might go there,
The hesitant moon appeared,
And I slept, the door unlocked.

Anonymous

More than the color
It is the fragrance I find
A source of delight.
Whose sleeve might have brushed against
The plum tree beside my house?

Anonymous

Pictures and poems are taken from the book Ariake - Poems of Love and Longing by the Women Courties of ancient Japan, San Francisco 2000. Illustrations by Rae Grant, foreword by Liza Dalby.

Kimono Eyeglasses Chords

Here are the first examples of Kimono Silk crafting from my atelier ;-)
Made from original vintage Kimono silk in light blue, two of chirimen silk with some small printings in shibori (tie-dye) style, the third one has a structured surface with small waves and momji (maple leave) patterns.
I have affixed small rubbel loops for the eyeglasses; the chords match perfectly with a light coloured summer outfit . You can wear your (sun) glasses around your neck when you don't need them or you protect your glasses from very agile baby-hands... oh, I know that problem ;-)
All my stuff you can find in my Dawanda store soon... keep in touch!

Little pieces of happiness

About one year ago my life has changed radically with the birth of my little daughter. I learned to stay at home ;-) instead of hopping from one dancing seminary to the next. But where could I find now a little bit of beauty to add to the every day routine? I needed a new hobby - and I found BEADS! What wonderful invention, surely as old as mankind. In past times you could buy almost a whole continent with this tiny colouful and sparkling treasures, nowadays you can steal at least a woman's heart... So I began collecting shimmering freshwater pearls from China, handmade lampwork beads from India, antique Venetian beads for the African traders, Bohemian vintage glass beads in Jugendstil design, multicoloured millefiori beads, stones with vigorous colours like turquoise or garnet, or softly shimmering moonstones, amethystes and corals in rosé. And what a bliss to put them toghether, inventing stories for all the combinations of melancholic princes, glorious peacocks and the mysterious whispers behind the courtains of a Moghul palace. In the glaze of a handmade bead I imagined stories of long silkroad travels, arid deserts and dangerous mountain paths... and so on ;-) So I spent some time in the early morning, at sunrise, when my family was still sleeping, feeding my fantasy with colours and putting toghether necklaces and earrings - each one with its own story. The pics show some examples. Unfortunately the sunrise now in autumn is already too late for that; I will have to find another solution now to colour up the rainy days of German fall....