Anaar Anaar Biya Ba Balinam

Anaar means pomegranate and we love pomegranates in the SWANACA* region! Pomegranates aren't just fruit to us! They symbolise fertility, growth, new beginnings, spring, beauty, the underworld, blood, and just Life, with a capital L. Pomegranates are used to celebrate all the joys of life, something the SWANACA region, even through its' tumultuous contemporary history of war, poverty and strife, seems to always able to enjoy: simply living. 

I designed this with our ancestors in mind, using similar textures I've seen in jewellery from the Mughal dynasty, as well as various ancient empires in the America's. I wanted the seeds and the leaves to feel like something. 

Also who grows the best pomegranates? We do! Rock this on your finger to remember where we came from: the land of the sweetest fruits, and one of the oldest civilisations in the world.

Anaar Anaar Bia Ba Balinam is a line from the famous Afghan folk song, Anaar Anaar; which means "pomegranate, pomegranate, come to me", and is one of our most beloved love songs. 

*SWANACA: South West Asia, North Afrika, and Central Asia

Size 7

All images taken by Astra Pentaxia @AstraTakesPhotos

Model, Chandra: 

I am the embodiment of the history of Black American women and the struggle to move into selfhood in a world that's in denial as to the necessity of addressing our story. I do so through my academic research and social programs. Chandra lives in Berlin for the moment, but will be returning to Glasgow eventually, where her academic life continues.