antique charm bracelet for keepsakes -NOVICA We Unite, Silver unity bracelet

Length 6.25 Inch
Qty:
A sterling silver pendant urges us to unite in this original bracelet by Napapat. It depicts a square knot. She displays it on a black macramé cord and adds beads of 950 silver from Thailand's hill tribe artisans. "The idea comes from the terrible scourge," she confides. "We shall unite to fight back and stop the death toll that seems to rise each day."

Product Features
  • Sliding knot
  • Product Weight: 0.01166
  • Dimensions:Length: 6.25"
  • Materials:925 sterling silver, 950 silver, waxed polyester cords
  • Country of Origin:Thailand
  • Colors:Black
Story behind the art:When I was young, I was a very active and imaginative girl. Growing up in Chiang Rai in a family with low economic means, I always enjoyed crafting my own toys and accessories with natural things around the house such as flowers, leaves, vines and scrap from my mom's projects. My dad is a skilled carpenter who would volunteer his time to building temples and schools. My mom always supported him as a perfect homemaker. I also have a younger brother. Through my own achievements, I was able to support him through school, and now he is training to be a soldier.

During my first year in college, I had a chance to go on a field trip to Chiang Mai City in the center of Northern Thailand, which is only a couple hours away from my town. We were able to see many interesting places, but one really inspired me. It was a small village named Yao, situated on top of a mountain. There, I saw some hill tribe women braiding threads to make accessories. Their technique and unique style has been passed down from one generation to another. Their works were very creative and beautiful, but also distinctly Thai. Their methods pass unchanged from mother to daughter.

One of the hosts of our field trip was the leader of the women in the village Her name is Mohloh. I asked her to teach me to braid in their style and she told me it's deceptively difficult to teach, especially when I was only going to be there for a short time. She also warned me that I would need lots of patience and imagination to produce the kind of art they were making. I was undeterred, and spent the rest of the afternoon with Mohloh and some of the other women learning their methods.

At one point, Mohloh mentioned that the type of threads they are using tended to fray after getting wet. I was really fond of making them and curious to find out if there was any better thread to avoid the problem. When I returned, I looked into some other supplies that weren't available to the people of Yao. I tried many different kinds of threads, but some were too large and couldn't be woven easily. Others looked gorgeous, but sometimes the colors would run if they were washed. I finally found waxed cords.

Waxed cords are relatively thick and the waxed coating prevents them from fraying. They are much stronger, water-resistant and, in my experience, this makes them last longer than leather. Because the strands are waxed after they're dyed, there's no risk of the colors running. Thank you.


The handcrafted touch of artisan skill creates variations in color, size and design. If buying two of the same item, slight differences should be expected. Note: Color discrepancies may occur between this product and your computer screen.

Imported