Sunday, 09 January 2011 22:10
A rare collection of handmade woven jewelry with unique designs, meaningful patterns and vibrant colors is made available right here at your finger tips. It is not only the colors chosen but the surprising combination of colors used in creating the unique patterns that makes it interesting. The fabric jewelry line is of distinctive style and unusual shapes with ethnic fashion, reflecting the dynamic and vibrant strength of modern and contemporary jewelry. This is where tradition and modernity, simplicity and sophistication joint force. The design is inspired by Chinese ethnic values, and each piece has meaning of its own whether it is for health, fortune, wisdom, protection or spiritual powers and wellbeing. Whether designing a mansion or an ornament, artists express their emotions and outline their experiences through their work, and thus, give their creations distinguished style and personalities. As a piece of vivid art work, it speaks to you and enriches your life. Wearing it, you are to incorporate your insights and give new meaning to that piece of jewelry. It serves a symbol to celebrate the human experiences as it takes on a life of its own.
Creative Source of Inspiration
The Chinese minority groups have traditionally resided in regions that are less developed, but played a critical role in serving as a base for diverse cultures. Although the 55 minority groups constitute only 8 percent of the 1.3 billion populations in China and the rest is the Han Chinese, their fashion and deco have influenced ethnic ornament technique development and cultural patterns reflecting a long and rich history. Among the ethnic groups are Dong, Miao, Yi, Tibetan, just name a few. They enjoy jewelry making using humble and primitive tools and materials. Some patterns have served as the alphabet or pictograph to conduct activities, express emotions, and record historic events. Ethnic groups tend to live close to nature, and their jewelry reflects their freewheeling spirit and the natural extension of their life style.
The Design under Spiritual Influence
Anybody who lays her eyes on a piece of such jewelry may wonder how she never before stepped upon it. The collection of ethnic style is of unique patterns and vibrant colors, with or without beads; some are with short or long tassels. One necklace presents five bold, solid, red circles in various sizes while another piece looks like an elegant, round mirror with red edge; some feature painted flowers with a mix of pink, lime green, and black in a piece of diamond shaped fabric while others mix colors of orange, brown and blue in a symphony of chains and circles; subtle orange and black are highlighted in some while deep purple and dark green in others. The refined beauty lies in the intricate design and surprising color mix. They are vibrant not just because of the varieties and freshness of the colors but the bold combination of the colors used in creating those unusual shapes and unique patterns. The creations are rooted in thousands of years of Chinese culture.
Two distinguished patterns highlighted in the collection are snakes in different shapes and cylindrical icons in various sizes. Some swirl up in circles like a snail; others twist and turn their bodies to show movement as if they are swimming across a river. The snake design is inspired by Nuwa, the "Snake Goddess" while the cylinders represent prayer wheels.
Nuwa, the "Snake Goddess"
In the collection, there are woven necklaces and earrings featuring a snake in different shapes and positions, with its body curling up in circles or in movement as if it is swimming across water. This design is inspired by Nuwa, the "Snake Goddess"
in ancient Chinese mythology best known for creating mankind and repairing the wall of heaven. Ranging from 475BC to 1279AD, various sources had accounts about Nuwa in her half human half serpent body. She was credited to the creation of mankind and the upkeep of the Wall of Heaven, among her multiple roles. Paintings depicted her as part of the male and female joint body of half people and half snake or dragon. Some ethnic groups in South Western China regard Nuwa as their goddess. Customs and festivals have been originated from and inspired by Nuwa's legend, and among them, the "Water-Splashing Festival". The present custom of women covering their faces with fans is recognition of her sacrifices as a creator and a devotor. Nuwa is the traditional divine goddess of the Miao people, and is historically respected and admired for her heroic act in fighting disasters.
Spinning the Wheels
The collection of ethnic handmade woven jewelry contains cylindrical icons in various colors and sizes, which represent prayer wheels. Mounted on a metal, wood or stone spindle, a prayer wheel is usually a cylindrical wheel in Buddhist 
tradition, which is used as a mind stabilization tool and technique to train the mind to stabilize while the body is in motion. Turning such a wheel intends to accumulate good karma and purify the bad karma. Types of wheels may include mani wheels or hand prayer wheels, water wheels, fire wheels, wind wheels, electric wheels, digital prayer wheels, as well as stationary prayer wheels with fixed metal wheels set side by side in a row. It is believed that turning such a wheel will affect people almost the same way as reciting the prayers.
As an artistic and spiritual symbol, the jewelry featuring wheels intends to bring spiritual powers such as clairvoyance, precognition, thought reading to the wearer, and enhances wisdom, merit and spiritual wellbeing of the beholder. You do not have to be a Buddhist to wear the jewelry. It is believed the benefits of the turning the wheel practice are magnificent. Simply touching a prayer wheel is said to purify negativities and obscurations and to bring positive energies and protections to all beings that are close and near. When you are on our website, you may also want to take a look at Tibetan style jewelry to enhance the cultural experience.
The Collector
The beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, which speaks the truth in this collection of ethnic style handmade woven jewelry. These products are suited for people with or without long life stories as they are for the wearers to embrace or enrich the meaning embedded in the creation. The collection is rare because traditional Chinese jewelry craftsmanship has not been transferred to the younger generation effectively. We may be just at the verge of losing part of the ethnic cultural heritage. For those who love to collect rare or antique ornaments with modern style from around the word, this could be an opportunity. By wearing them, you dive into a different culture, which opens your horizon and gives you a new perspective more than you can ever imagine.