We awakened this morning to a haze of amber and coral and rose — not the color of the dawn, but of the rising sun filtered through a heavy pall of wildfire smoke. Supposedly everything was fully contained and/or entirely out, but clearly that’s not the case. Since then, a rising wind has chased the smoke plume east beyond the mountains, but a glittery haze remains, and so do the coughing and congestion.
In a time of again-deepening drought, the constant presence of smoke reinforces the dangers we face. As of two days ago, the first stalks of corn had broken through the soil’s surface; by last night, several plants were emergent, as well as some of the herbs. It will take every bot of labor and care, and not a little in the way of prayer, to bring them to fruition and harvest.
We are fortunate that this is an area replete with indigenous flora, and that so much of it is drought-resistant. In yet another year when crop growth is by no means guaranteed, we at least have some means to sustain the spirit.
Today’s featured work is a tribute to one of these hardy indigenous plant spirits, one of wild red medicine now in full bright flower. From its description in the relevant section of the Bracelets Gallery here on the site:
Indian Paintbrush Cuff Bracelet
The first soft weeks of summer are when the red medicine flowers: Indian paintbrush, the crimson petals of desert and prairie. In a week when they are in full flower, Wings honors their color and medicine, the water and light that calls them from the earth, with this heavy silver cuff set with fiery coral. The band is nine-gauge sterling silver, slender yet solid and substantial, its entire surface chased with deep, heavy, graceful freehand stampwork. Down the center, two rows of curving lines arc in and out like the path of the Great River, the silver between as clear and luminous as the Río’s surface. From either edge up to each flowing line, the band is texturized with deep single stamps, scores of strikes of the jeweler’s hammer rippling its surface. Between each break in the water’s path, paired flowers rise from either edge, stems curving and petals dancing in the light. Across the top three round, highly-domed, bezel-set, richly textured cabochons of natural sponge coral evoke all the shades of the flowers that serve as one of our most ancient Indigenous medicines. At either end of the band, paired wildflowers dance in the embrace of deeply textured earth. The band is 6″ long by 3/8″ across; the coral cabochons are each 1/4″ across (dimensions approximate). Other views shown below.
Sterling silver; sponge coral
$1,500 + shipping, handing, and insurance
This work was a new and immediate favorite: full of skill and spirit and meticulous attention to detail, labor-intensive but entirely a labor of love. Wings and I are both fond of Indian paintbrush, which grows wild here at this time of year, even in such drought-ridden conditions. It plays a role in the traditions of both of our peoples, and every summer, he finds an opportunity to bring a small bouquet of their spirited scarlet stalks.
In truth, of course, they manifest in a whole range of colors, from ivory and pale yellow shades in the lands northeast of here to, in this place, all the reds of fire and flame: scarlet, crimson, coral.
And occasionally, their petals are matched by the colors of the dawn and dusken skies.
We are reminded every day of the accelerating risks now, to us and to the land: colonial violence, pandemic, wildfire, drought. It is a time when planting seeds is an act of faith as much as hope.
But we can ensure that our work pays tribute: to the earth that needs us now, to the waters that we need so desperately in turn, and to the wild red medicine that is summer’s own gift — acknowledge, honor, celebrate, and give thanks.
~ Aji
All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2020; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.
