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The Fierce Heart - Mixed Media Earring
- $42.00
- $25.00
The Fierce Heart - Mixed Media Earring
- $42.00
- $25.00
Anishinaabe artist Sarah Agaton Howes is an Inspired Natives™ Collaborator who is all about thriving - not simply surviving. This is a value that shines through in her art, including these highly unique and contemporary The Fierce Heart earrings.
This contemporary rendering of the strawberry by collaborator Sarah Agaton Howes was developed from a pencil drawing to a finalized product during her recent visit to Louie's Eighth Generation studio in Seattle.
In Ojibwemowin (the Ojibwe language), the strawberry is called odemin or "heart berry". The design was inspired by an inside of a strawberry—revealed when the berry is sliced in half—and the idea that having a fierce heart beating on the inside is a more significant key to happiness than even the most beautiful exterior. The odemin is Sarah's signature motif, and it appears frequently in her handmade regalia and moccasins.
This 2-sided, lightweight mixed media earring is made with painted maple wood over a bright acrylic backdrop. The jump ring and hook have a gunmetal finish.
This product is hand-painted, machine cut, and assembled in our Seattle, Washington studio.
- 1.75" x 1.75" / 4.445cm x 4.445cm
- Hand-painted wood on colored acrylic
- Gun metal finish jump rings and hooks
Thank you for supporting Inspired Natives™, not "Native-inspired."
Cultural Context:
Ojibwe designs are known for their floral motifs, reflecting the foods and medicines of the community. An example of traditional Ojibwe botanical design is shown on this pair of award-winning moccasins sewn and beaded by Sarah. Sarah used glass beads and porcupine quills to illustrate a strawberry and flower; the shoes are made of brain-tanned deer hide, a wool army blanket, and fabric strips from her daughter’s jingle dress.
about the artist
Boozhoo (Hello)! My name is Sarah Agaton Howes, and I am an Anishinaabe-Ojibwe artist, teacher, and community organizer from the Fond du Lac Reservation in Minnesota. Widely known for my handmade regalia and moccasins featuring Ojibwe floral designs, I own and operate my own business, Heart Berry, to share contemporary Ojibwe art. I work to build a strong community by teaching about our cultural art, such as moccasins and beadwork, and creating tools like books and tutorials for Makers.