In some places of the world, especially touristy ones, it is not rare to find sea urchins on fish market/shell stalls. Characterised by beautiful colours and perfect examples of the wonderful geometries nature weaves around us, some of the sea urchin shells like the one of the Phyllacanthus imperialis, also known as "Sputnik urchin" or "land mine sea urchin", have wonderful three-dimensional textures on the exterior. The holes you find in the shells also make them look as oversized beads, but how can you wear them?
Here's how, get some thick cotton, make a sort of long tube with a 6 or 8 pin knitting spool, stuff the tube (in my case I made two tubes, one went on top of the other, like two socks) with fiber fill of the kind you use to make puppets and soft toys (to give structure to the necklace as the sea urchins have got quite big holes) and insert the sea urchin shells (this stage may require a bit of extra patience as the shells have got some sort of hooks inside them that will slow down this process, though they will eventually help you anchoring them to the cotton).
The result is a rather monumental piece, better worn with a simple dress/top. In a way it looks like a regal decoration of some sort. The Inspiration? Bizarre stories of people who tried (and failed...) starting their own micro-nation in the middle of the sea, like the Republic of Rose Island, founded by Italian engineer Giorgio Rosa and located on a man-made platform in the Adriatic Sea.
But you can read more about this story in the appendix to the Italian volume Benvenuti a Sealand: Storia segreta della più celebre micronazione al mondo by Nicola Battista and Nicola D'Agostino. The informative panel behind the necklace was actually part of an exhibition by the same authors that took place in Italy a couple of months ago. The panel was lent to Irenebrination for this quick photoshoot and the driftwood came from the Adriatic Sea. Have a creative Sunday!
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