Origami Jewelry

All the jewelry is made from Japanese chiyogami washi paper. After I fold the pieces, I apply a fabric stiffener and then lacquer them for shine and durability. 

The back of each jewelry card has the Japanese "kanji" of that piece and a short definition of the item.

Orders can be placed via email to shawnnee@theholmbergs.com. Please designate general color scheme and/or combinations.

Click on images for detail.

Beaded Fan Pin $17  2"diameter

 Sensu Kanji?
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Aqua/Turquoise Rust/Blue Black/Gold Magenta
The Japanese folding fan, or sensu, is an accoutrement of aesthetic elegance. Ladies of the classical Japanese aristocracy used the fans as an accessory to flowing patterned kimono and as a medium on which poetry was written with a fine calligraphy brush. Sensu are still widely used in Japan today. The Japanese bride, for example, carries one with her on her wedding day.
Kimono Pin  $15     2" square

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Purple

  Blue/Lavender

Blue

Red

Black
The kimono is an embroidered silk gown, worn in multi-colored layers during ceremony or singly for less formal occasions. Patterned across these flowing gowns are, among other motifs, scenes of literary origin, landscape elements evocative of Japanese painting and poetry, and kanji characters of auspicious message. Bound to these kimono are five-yen coins, tokens of good luck, and small lengths of bamboo, tokens of longevity.

Frog Earrings   $26

 Frog Pin $13       1"x 1 1/2"

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Hanging or Posts  14/20 gold twist hooks

Green

Black

Purple

Red

Blue
In Japanese, frog is pronounced "kaeru." "Kaeru" also means "to return." This homonym has transformed the frog in Japan into a symbol of good luck. For, the lost, estranged, or gambled is sure to return to you under the auspices of this small amphibian. One poet, named Gaki, has this to say about the little fellow: "Little frog among rain-shaken leaves, are you too splashed with fresh green paint?"
Maryland Crab $17                   1 1/2" square

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Red

Blue

"Chesapeake Blue Crabs, shadows in sunlit water, Old Bay Seasoning." Our own haiku.
Cranes "Tsuru"  Earrings  $15     1"

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Red/Black

Blue
Oriental Combo Earrings     $15      1 1/2"

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Dragonfly "Tonbo" Earrings     $15        1 1/2"

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Red/Coral
Kimono/Tonbo Pin   $15

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"Dragonfly on my shoulder. Autumn has arrived."    Haiku