Shop of the Week No. 15 IroquoisDesigns

It's second time around for this week's shop of the week, Iroquois Designs. Here is the winning treasury chosen by Lisa from HiGirls. 

Now I know this is second time around for Jessica, and I loved writing about her before. This time I have been completely stuck for something new, but decided that elaborating on some of the cultural designs Jessica uses in her shop would be a good place to start.

One of my favourite items in Jessica’s shop are those with the double curve designs. Not just because of their aesthetic value, though they are just beautiful, but that they are reminiscent of some of the ancient native British art forms. The lines, colours and form is simple yet fascinating in its simplicity.

But how to begin writing about it? I know little or nothing really about American Indian culture and art, as much as I love it. Jessica does, so who better to ask than someone who is actually part of that culture?

Here is an extract from Jessica’s own blog, iroquois-designs.blogspot.com which explains it perfectly…

Double curves are Eastern woodland designs typically found in bead work. Today you can find them on leather, drums, clothing, baskets, pottery, jewellery, and of course on

various beaded work. If you go to a pow wow here in the North East you are sure to come across them at some point. When I was a kid, (and even now) my mom used them on the breach cloths of her scale cornhusk dolls. Back then, I didn’t realise they had a name or meaning.

The basic design symbolises balance, give and take, teaching and learning. There is a center point, at which a flower usually grows, and it branches to the left, and it branches 
the same way to the right. The left side is the female side, 
which is for giving, teaching and nurturing. The right side is

the male side for the strength to take in, and learning.

You can see some wonderful examples of Jessica’s work in her Etsy Shop, Iroquois Designs, and also on her blog,