thing a week two: wool and coral ring

this project percolated for several days before i poured it out. as with all new designs which eventually become production pieces, the planning took significantly longer than the making. i knew that i wanted to make something out of my large collection of coral beads. i was drawn to the idea of wool felt; Nepalese gold necklaces are traditionally strung with wool spacers to protect the soft gold beads from wear. i considered making a large, heavy necklace with wool beads between the coral.

when i was last in Turkey, i photographed some antique Ottoman belts stitched with coral and silver coins. they were on display along with many breathtaking pieces of jewelry from Gönül Paksoy's personal collection. she made many of the pieces with old beads and findings, while others were objects that she'd collected and displayed as found. the exhibit coincided with the first (and probably last) Istanbul Bead and Beadwork Conference.

i liked the negative space between the coral beads on the belts, and the fact that they were tipped over on their sides. i played around with the idea of a rectangular wool and coral pendant, but preferred the look of it on my finger.

thing a week two
wool and coral ring
1.12.09 - 1.14.09

antique coral beads
fine silver Thai beads
wool felt handmade in Nepal
stitched together with Fireline and size 13 beading needle

antique Ottoman coral and silver / coin belts from the Gönül Paksoy collection