Wings’s stock of stones and supplies stretches across an incredible spectrum of materials, styles, and costs. It includes spectacularly valuable gemstones that have been in his family for years — and inexpensive objects such as dyed and stabilized fetish and other beads. Occasionally, he feels compelled to clear a few of the latter items out of his inventory by making something beautiful with them, but in such instances, the finished work is far less costly than his usual range. Today’s featured item is one such, completed only this afternoon, and made of a combination of natural, stabilized, and man-made materials.
One of our themes this week is the art and spirit of the horse — fitting, given that at the moment, in addition to our own four horses, we are caring for four additional horses belonging to his sister and brother-in-law, two geldings and two mares that have turned out to be very pregnant. Between those four and our four, we have nearly every horse color covered. We also have eight very distinct equine spirits, each of whom embodies one or more of the elemental forces in terms of ability and what might be called, for lack of a better word, personality.
So it was also fitting that Wings should seize this opportunity to use some old fetish beads that have long been in a supply drawer: horse fetishes in a variety of colors and materials. He asked for my help in choosing colors and beads, and today’s work is the result.
In looking over his supply of fetish beads, I was struck immediately by the four colors of the larger horses. To me, they were Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, given the form and shape of a wild yet kindred spirit. Together, they formed the thematic basis for the bracelet. From its description in the Bracelets Gallery here on the site:
HorsePower Coil Bracelet
Give yourself a little added horsepower with the help of these four small horses, the four elements whirling together in a hoop: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, all racing in a spiraling vortex of power. Wings creates the hoop from memory wire, coiled into four strands to expand and contract with the power of the storm. The wire is strung with handmade African nickel beads, tiny rondels at either end, with paper-thin barrel beads strung between. At regular intervals, a horse appears, each a small carved fetish carrying an elemental spirit: Earth in the form of golden-brown tiger’s eye; Air in cloud-like white magnesite with a soft wispy gray matrix; Fire as goldstone, a bit of alchemy in coppery red; and Water as turquoise, the Skystone that holds the rain itself. Ideal for a young wearer, and/or for those who love horses. Joint design by Wings and Aji. Another view shown below.
Memory wire; nickel silver; tiger’s eye; magnesite; goldstone; turquoise*
$145 + shipping, handling, and insurance
* Note: The lower price of this coil bracelet reflects the significantly lower value of the materials used. Nickel silver is a copper alloy containing nickel and zinc, but no silver. Goldstone is a man-made material; the turquoise fetish is stabilized, at a minimum, and likely dyed. The magnesite and tiger’s eye may or may not be dyed.
Choosing the horse fetishes was only the threshold decision, however. Given their modest value, it seemed appropriate string them with beads reflective of their lower price point. But he also wanted to use beads that would bolster, not distract from, the elemental nature of the horses. It required subtle color and shape, something that would embody the vortex without overwhelming the spirits that raced around it.
The solution presented itself in the form of a couple of sets of African beads that he acquired from a seller in Santa Fe who is from Kenya.
Whenever we have to go to Santa Fe for supplies, we nearly always stop at one particular restaurant, a café owned and run by a chef from Lamu Island, Kenya. Besides serving outstanding traditional African dishes at modest prices, he uses the profits from the restaurant to fund the school and the mother’s and children’s hospital he established in his homeland a few years ago. A year or so ago, he opened a gift shop a couple of doors down, one that features hand-made African art, textiles, foods and spices, jewelry, and beads. Wings has bought beads from them semi-regularly, partly because they are beautiful and well-made, partly because doing so helps the owner fund his projects back home, and partly because we’re committed to supporting the work of indigenous artists here and elsewhere.
On our last visit, they had some new items: long strands of copper, brass, and nickel beads in various sizes and shapes. some of the rondels closely resemble Native beads; all of them possess an understated but very clear beauty, and a great indigenous spirit. We picked up some of each, and the nickel barrel beads and rondels proved to be the perfect media to execute these elemental horse spirits’ spiraling path.
It’s a work modest of price and size, not especially imposing, but no less infused with spirit for all that. It’s a piece well-suited to horse people, and it’s small enough to fit those most passionate of horse lovers, young girls. And its coil design means that even a youthful wearer will be retain it securely on her wrist. Its name suits it, too: HorsePower, filled with all of the energy and exuberance of equine spirits.
It’s rare anymore that Wings has the chance to offer something at this price point. To be able to do so in a piece that pays tribute to some of the four-legged members of our own family, and at the same time helps support indigenous artists half a world away? These are elemental powers and indigenous spirits worthy of the work’s name.
~ Aji
All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owners.
