Crocheted Silk and Silver Bracelet in Purple

Bent Metal

Bent Metal Crocheted Silk and Oxidized Sterling Silver Bracelet Made in Maine USA
  • Bent Metal Crocheted Silk and Oxidized Sterling Silver Bracelet Made in Maine USA
  • Bent Metal Crocheted Silk and Oxidized Sterling Silver Bracelet Made in Maine USA
  • Bent Metal Crocheted Silk and Oxidized Sterling Silver Bracelet Made in Maine USA
  • Bent Metal Crocheted Silk and Oxidized Sterling Silver Bracelet Made in Maine USA
  • $300.00

This stunning textile-meets-metal piece of jewelry can reflect unique personality with its splash of color while also connecting its model to the virtue of handwoven textiles.

The artist’s signature design is sterling silver with an embossed fabric texture. The process of creating these delicate works of art begins with the artist finding textiles with interesting weave patterns. An antique rolling mill is used to press a distinct fabric imprint upon a thin sheet of sterling silver.

The result: texture and pattern that energize the surface of the metal. No two pieces are exactly alike, each one is an original work of art that shares a story and connects the wearer to a weaver.

Erica further embellishes the textured metals with fine silk using embroidery and crochet techniques to fashion a chain and decorative elements.

Sterling silver has been oxidized and embroidered with silk making it a unique piece that can reflect unique personality with its splash of color while also connecting you to the age old craft of handwoven textiles.

When asked if the crocheted silk chain is as strong as its metal equivalent, the artist refers to her silk parachute, which serves as a reminder of the fibers strength and history of use.

Over time, some oxidation may wear off, enhancing the piece with patina and personalizing it to the owner. Enjoy the way the silk and metals age over time, shined and subtly recolored by your skin. If cleaning is necessary, hand wash the crochet silk with gentle shampoo (not detergent), rinse well, gently stretch, and air dry.

- Measures ____
- Silk and oxidized sterling silver

Bent Metal is handcrafted jewelry designed and meticulously realized by Erica Schlueter in Belfast, Maine. Combining silk embroidery and crochet with precious metals imprinted with woven texture, Erica pays homage to fine needle work and textiles that have been created all over the world and throughout history.

Although the artist has been producing jewelry for over 10 years, she began her creative journey with the study of textiles and fibers, which was her focus in college and a persistent passion still.

Over the years she has been exploring ways to apply fiber and textile techniques to jewelry, a medium that often has the capacity to reach a wider audience. This modern design composition - pressing textile patterns into metal and wearing the metal - helps connect people to the tradition and enduring energy of woven and stitched fabrics. 

All Bent Metal pieces are made in Erica’s home studio, a small room with large windows. In the fields around her house, she has begun to cultivate flax. With its thirty-thousand year history of human use and notable role in New England’s textile tradition, flax moves Erica closer to her admirable goal of one hundred percent local sourcing.

From the artist: “For what I do, I prefer the word craftsperson over maker or creator because I don’t think I create something new. I have always loved exploring the weave patterns of textiles. I try to take the traditional patterns, textures, and techniques and apply them to jewelry.”

 

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