Ajijaakwe: Five incredible new works by Wings.

All right, I've been trying to get these posted for two days now. At last, five incredible new works by Wings.

First up is the extraordinary cuff shown above (and directly below). This is old-school silverwork, a tribute to the techniques and labor of the Indigenous smiths who were his own ancestors:

This one is called Mountain Lightning, and it's phenomenal. It's big (more than two inches across), and solid (heavy fourteen-gauge sterling silver). There are no stones, and no small stampwork, either; it's all lines scored deeply, freehand, using a short chisel-end stamp, a heavy 5-lb. steel hammer wielded repeatedly to create the six lines that form the scored borders and the five zigzagging lines down the center that create the four parallel lightning bolts. This one is weighty, literally and metaphorically; it's also priced accordingly. You can read its full description here.

The second work is much smaller (and also priced accordingly). It's the latest in Wings's informal series of two-stone self-adjusting rings:

This one is called Sunrise and Moonglow, and it suits the piece perfectly. The band is wide and solid, formed of sterling silver pattern wire in floral patter that evokes the flowing grace of the Art Nouveau period. At either end, set into saw-toothed bezels, are solitary round cabochons, highly domed and glowing from within, one sunny citrine, the other rainbow moonstone. It's self-adjusting, but if you need to have it made significantly smaller, that can be done. You can read its full description here.

The next three works are all pairs of earrings. The first pair is formed from a pair of repurposed conchas from one of Wings's oldest [and no longer extant] works:

This pair is called Lodgepole Sky; if you look closely at the design on each hand-cut, hand-domed concha, you'll see why. Eight "lodgepoles" in the form of freehand scoremarks radiate from the center; between the ends of each sits a single traditional lodge motif, stamped so deeply that it scallops the edges ever so slightly. At the center, into round saw-toothed bezels, sit tiny perfect cabochons of OLD natural turquoise in a perfect sky-blue shade, veined with golden-hued spiderweb matrix. He made the conchas decades, maybe generations ago; the stones are even older. You can read the full description here.

The second pair is one of a pair itself, the first of two sets of floral earrings in a new saw-cut design:

This pair is called Wild Blue Sage, a reference both to the floral design and to the color of the jewels at center. Each blossom is saw-cut and scalloped freehand, with flowing veins stamped on each petal. The petals, too, are saw-cut freehand to separate them from each other, raising them slightly to add to the doming that creates a three-dimensional form. At the center of each, in a saw-toothed bezel, sits a tiny round iolite cabochon, the color of the sage blossoms and of the rain the keeps them growing. You can read its full description here.

Fifth and finally, it's the second pair of floral earrings, these channeling a very different sort of blossom:

This pair is called Prairie Evening Primrose, one of the hardy indigenous blossoms found here that is deceptively delicate in appearance. These, too, are domed like conchas, saw-cut freehand just like the other pair, and veined with similar stampwork. At the center of these, though, sit single round cabochons of glowing pink mussel shell. You can read their full description here.

As always, Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We will still need to make consistent sales as we enter this fourth year of pandemic and loss, and there are many opportunities and occasions for gifts to come, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Ajijaakwe

Saturday, March 25, 2023

Five incredible new works by Wings.

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