Seed – a small object that encapsulates a giant tree. What a great notion. I guess God must have patted himself on the back after creating a seed. Afterall, a seed holds and gives life. On an abstract conceptual level, a seed pods hold great potential. However, as a component or a form, they are tricky to work with as they are so simple and unassuming. So for Art Elements’ July showcase, I wanted to challenge myself to create jewelry with seeds. It was easier than I thought and fun too. Here I present some of my Handmade Seed jewelry.
Jambei red seeds – Little, red and shiny jewels
The very first time, I came across these red shiny seeds was at Shantiniketan’s Sonajhuri market where I bought a pair of red and black seed earrings. It turned out to be very lucky for me. I would wear it during important presentations, festivals and even when I wanted to get my leave letter signed. I wore it while travelling to Malaysia and Siem Reap earlier this year. Just as I reached my hotel, one earring broke scattering the beads and wrenching my heart in the process. Remembering that Graines De Cambodge by Rany Som stocks fantastic jewelry made of these red seeds (which called locally called Jambei seeds), I went looking for their store.
Boy, I was not disappointed. I was entranced by her timeless and elegant creations using natural materials like jute and seeds. But that was not what interested me the most. The way she had branded and packaged her concept with displays and descriptive cards to sell at a good price was fascinating. The store visit turned out to be a lesson on how to brand your creations as desirable, luxurious products even when they are made of simple materials that cost virtually nothing. I bought a Jambei seed rope necklace and a lotus seed bracelet that I wanted to rehash. But having worn the necklace multiple times, I couldn’t bring myself to cut it.
Oh that’s Kundumani!
When I came home from the trip, one of my students from Bengaluru said that what I was wearing was called Kundumani and can be found on almost any street in India. I was perplexed on two fronts. One, I had not come across this seed before anywhere in South India. Two, the seed I knew as Kundumani (Abrus precatorius) was bead vine or Indian Licorice which is an oval poisonous red seed with a black eye and what I was wearing was a flattened smooth red seed.
Then a few days later, one of my friends (a colleague from Kerala) also referred to the seeds as Kundumani. She told me that she had a big collection of the seeds at home and offered to send me some which she graciously did. My mother also, referred to the seeds by the same name. Though I was not convinced, I set the nagging feeling aside. That is until, I had to write this post on Seed jewelry. I did a bit more research and found out the correct name of the seed – Circassian seed aka Adenanthera pavonina (Aanai Kundumani in Tamil, Gulangi in Kannada). I made a pair of chain earrings and a finger ring using the seeds.
Manjadikuru – the lucky red seeds
Adenanthera pavonina is commonly found in Kerala in India and is known as Manjadikuru – Seed of the Manjadi tree. It is often collected from the roadside, polished by rubbing and display in brass vessels known as uruli as it is considered lucky. Children are encouraged to play with them. While doing research for this challenge I came across a Malayalam movie by the same name. In the movies blog, I came to know that Manjadikuru was also considered holy based on a folklore about the Guruvayoor temple.
The story is about how an elderly woman, collects these seeds as an offering to Little Krishna and treks for miles ot bring it to the temple. But she is pushed aside by the kings guards who ridicule her and scatter her beads. In a twist of fate, the kings elephant, which was supposed to be an offering to the temple runs amok and brings about destruction. The king is petrified and prays for a solution. He hears the voice of God, who says that he does not want the elephant but wants to play with shiny red seeds. The seeds are instantly gathered and presented and the woman is treated with the respect that she deserves.
When I recounted this story to my mother, she also recollected it. She told me that a big urli of manjadikuru is still kept at the Guruvayoor temple for visitors to play with as it said to relieve them on disease and sadness. It brings a smile to anyone who looks at it. This I feel, is indeed true. Starting with me, to my students to my friends, everyone I met whenever I wore my Seed jewelry grinned like a little kid while looking at them. What about you? Do the shiny red seeds bring a smile to your face?
Aanai Kundumani
I was wondering why these seeds are called aanai Kundumai (Elephant kundumani) in Tamil. Then I came across this interesting post on how 12 tiny carved elephants were stuffed into the seed for Good luck. These seeds are also said to be standard measures of Gold and silver once upon a time.
# Update -In my hurry to write this post I left out the part on how I made the red seed jewelry. So thanks for the questions and the comments. I bought some of the red seeds/lotus seeds pre-drilled. For the rest I drilled a hole manually using an awl and pins. The ones used in the ring are without holes and set with dimensional magic and resin.
Lotus Seed jewelry
My fascination for the lotus flower is well documented in this blog. While I have previously used the form of the lotus flower and leaf in my work, I have not bothered with the seeds. While in Siem Reap, I came across dried Lotus seeds that were used to make jewelry and was fascinated by it. These seeds are believed to diminish poverty and promote wellness. I made a pair of simple earrings with small jhumka end caps as dangles.
That brings me to the end of this post. I hope you enjoyed reading about the lucky circassian red seeds. None of the pieces shown here are for sale. I am a couple of days early in posting this reveal as I am travelling yet again. On the 31st of July Do hop around and visit all the participants of this challenge.
Here is a list of all the participants
Guest Artists:
Art Elements Team:
I hope you found it interesting
Cheers
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