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This exquisite shawl pin was made by Fair Trade artisans in Indonesia. Cast in white brass and hand polished.
Shawl Pin includes the ring the stick
Ring 2.5" tall x 1.25" wide
"The tendrils of grapes or peas are nature's spirals. The natural grape tendrils from which these pieces were cast were collected near my studio from some wild grapes growing along the Patuxent River which runs into the Chesapeake Bay.
"The grapes these vines produce aren't any you'd want to eat - birds like them. In the fall they form loose clusters of tiny pea-like fruit and the grapes turn colour from green to turquoise to indigo to mauve.
"When my son was four, we went walking in the fall and found a wild grapevine covered in these multi-coloured fruits the size of pearls and we arranged them in an ombre fade in the cracks of a rock - a little tribute to the art of Andy Goldsworthy (if you've never seen his work, google it - it's amazing and will inspire you).
"Whenever I see wild grapes in the fall that look like that I think of my boy at that age lining up those grapes in colour order in the woods."
JUL is the creation of Laura Bellows and Agus Astradhi. Their stunning and unusual designs are made by artisans in Indonesia or in their studio in the US.
Originally trained as an anthropologist at the University of Virginia, Laura earned her PhD in cultural anthropology in 2003 based on two years of field research in Bali, Indonesia. Her research-adventure in Bali allowed her to develop relationships with the people and the culture that were essential for her founding of JUL in 2007 and which remain so to the present day.
Agus Astradhi was trained at the Arts University in Bali as a painter and designer. Upon graduation he created jewelry designs for the world famous Balinese jewelry company Suarti. He worked as a free-lance jewelry designer and graphic artist before joining Laura to found JUL in 2007.
Hand-made Fair Trade in Indonesia
JUL works with skilled metal and wood-workers in Indonesia. "We give them our custom designs for execution and then work closely and collaboratively to develop these pieces into JUL products. The artisans we work with establish their own prices for each piece we contract with them to make. We do not try to bargain their prices lower.
We consider our artisans to be creative partners as we frequently ask them to make designs that are very different those they receive from other clients. Because our designs are unconventional compared to the other designers they work with, their willingness to develop creative solutions with us, and to experiment and innovate is an important factor in our working relationship.
Not all artisans are interested in learning something new and working in such a collaborative and dialogic manner. We have developed these relationships of mutual understanding and creative partnership over the course of the past decade."
Category: Jewellery, Jul Designs, Non-Yarn, Shawl Pin, £30 - £39.99
