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Musings

  • The Hamsa

    I love the hamsa, the palm-shaped amulet used in jewelry and wall hangings, especially throughout the Middle East and North Africa.  The hamsa, or khamsa, also known as the Hand of Fatima, Hand of Mary and Hand of Miriam is a sign of protection that also represents blessings, power, and strength, and is seen as potent in deflecting the evil eye.

    It is beautiful, not only visually, but for what it represents, and for the fact that it is used in so many major religions -- Judaism, Islam and Christianity.  Talk about a beautiful universal sign....

         

    There are thousands of beautiful depictions and styles of this symbol.  The one on the right is a pure silver, handcrafted pendant from Shiana, a fair trade group in Northern Thailand that works with hill tribe villages to produce the most gorgeous jewelry, both traditional and updated.

  • GIRL POWER!

    Here's a photo of a dear friend wearing Rain Lily bracelets!  She sent me the pic and titled it "Girl Power!"

  • Bandhani

    Bandhani is the art of tie and dye.  Here's an amazing example of a bandhani silk scarf from India.  It's from Mimbres Valley Imports -- www.mimvalimports.com.  Another traditional craft technique that is worth saving!

  • Ajrakh Printing

     

    (Photos are from www.jaypore.com)

     Ajrakh is a type of hand block printing which originated in the Sindh region of Pakistan.  It is said that it is Inspired by the trigonometric symmetry in Mughal architecture.

    This wearable art is, like so many other ancient, traditional crafts, is in danger of dying out.  Machine printing and mass production threaten this and so many other priceless craft techniques.  There is a young man named Khalid Amin Khatri who is from Ajrakhpur, a village in Kutch, Gujarat, India -- his ancestral craft is ajrakh printing.  He studied this art at KALA RAKSHA VIDHYALAYA, a design institute dedicated to rejuvenating traditional arts.

    We are working on bringing some of Khalid's scarves and stoles to Rain Lily and we are super excited about it!  Aren't they gorgeous?