I can never leave the house without some exotic reminder that the world I live in, is much larger than my local radius. Some days, it's in the form of a Balinese pendant I dug up at an Indonesian market, or perhaps, my most prized possession: a beautiful Kenyan Masai necklace which was given to me as a heartfelt Christmas gift. And sometimes, I can't resist but to mix it up: a colorful Guatemalan belt that screams color from my hips, as a turquoise Native American bracelet circles my wrist. I am truly happiest when I feel a lure from faraway lands that are not always within reach.
So it was only natural, that when my mother came back from France one summer, wearing all sorts of intricate jewelry adorned with gorgeous antique ethnic pendants, I went sort of mad for it all. Not only were the necklaces and bracelets and earrings she was newly sporting absolutely my style, but none other than my aunt had been stringing them together, as a side project to her busy interior design and architecture firm. Turns out that a combo of : an ongoing passion for jewelry, 6 years in Ecuador during her twenties, a love affair with North and Western Africa, and a constant need to travel due to business (from Jordan and Saudi to London and Honk Kong) had made her quite the expert in nomadic-like treasures. And so, though it could have been predicted, but quite unexpectedly, she started making jewelry based on a certain instinct - mixing modern city-like elements, with antique pendants reminiscent of the old-world charm of destinations such as Morocco.
As anticipated, the worldly results dazzled us all.
Each piece seemed to retain some sort of ancient magic from all of the civilizations she had deeply admired, which in turn, you couldn't help but admire- and ultimately, that was what made you fall in love with her designs. The pendants which captivated me most, and still do so to this day, were crafted by the Kuchi Tribe.
The Kuchi Tribe are a nomadic people, whose original traveling grounds were the mountains of Afghanistan. Due to the ongoing war in their country and the many natural disasters, such as floods, that have stricken their land, the nomads have almost all been displaced greatly reducing their numbers. A people that typically raises goats and sheeps as to exchange their dairy products for fruits and vegetables, the Kuchi nomads are not only impressive farmers, but also incredibly talented at the craftswork I was introduced to, all those years ago, dangling from one of my aunt's exquisite creations.
But not one more descriptive word from me, as I think the ethnic art speaks for itself:
OLB
So it was only natural, that when my mother came back from France one summer, wearing all sorts of intricate jewelry adorned with gorgeous antique ethnic pendants, I went sort of mad for it all. Not only were the necklaces and bracelets and earrings she was newly sporting absolutely my style, but none other than my aunt had been stringing them together, as a side project to her busy interior design and architecture firm. Turns out that a combo of : an ongoing passion for jewelry, 6 years in Ecuador during her twenties, a love affair with North and Western Africa, and a constant need to travel due to business (from Jordan and Saudi to London and Honk Kong) had made her quite the expert in nomadic-like treasures. And so, though it could have been predicted, but quite unexpectedly, she started making jewelry based on a certain instinct - mixing modern city-like elements, with antique pendants reminiscent of the old-world charm of destinations such as Morocco.
As anticipated, the worldly results dazzled us all.
Each piece seemed to retain some sort of ancient magic from all of the civilizations she had deeply admired, which in turn, you couldn't help but admire- and ultimately, that was what made you fall in love with her designs. The pendants which captivated me most, and still do so to this day, were crafted by the Kuchi Tribe.
The Kuchi Tribe are a nomadic people, whose original traveling grounds were the mountains of Afghanistan. Due to the ongoing war in their country and the many natural disasters, such as floods, that have stricken their land, the nomads have almost all been displaced greatly reducing their numbers. A people that typically raises goats and sheeps as to exchange their dairy products for fruits and vegetables, the Kuchi nomads are not only impressive farmers, but also incredibly talented at the craftswork I was introduced to, all those years ago, dangling from one of my aunt's exquisite creations.
But not one more descriptive word from me, as I think the ethnic art speaks for itself:
OLB
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