Bow Form. Stories from the Wooden Hair Clip Collection

Growing up in Okinawa and later moving to Oregon, I came to deeply appreciate the quiet strength found in traditional Okinawan craftsmanship. The textures of old wooden tools, the way materials age beautifully with use.. These details stayed with me.

For this wooden hair clip collection, I drew inspiration from the chigiri joint, also known as the butterfly joint. A technique widely used in Japanese woodworking. It’s a method where two pieces of wood are bound together with a bow-tie-shaped inlay, often used to prevent cracks from spreading.

In Okinawa, this technique was essential in building Sabani boats. Traditional wooden fishing vessels constructed without a single nail. Instead, they relied on hand cut joints, deep knowledge of materials, and trust in quiet craftsmanship.

The chigiri is never perfectly symmetrical. One side always slightly different from the other. And yet, it’s that very imbalance that strengthens the bond. It’s a quiet reminder that our differences, too, can become points of connection.

Each handmade wooden hair clip in this collection carries that story. An ode to imperfect symmetry, to strength in softness, to traditions passed quietly through hands.