Lapis Lazuli Tree of Life Hanging

A handmade hanging built on a 16cm iron hoop, with fine wire worked into a spreading tree and tumbled lapis lazuli chips set through the branches. Cotton thread and feathers trail below, taking the total drop to around 65cm. Because each one is wired by hand, no two trees branch in quite the same way and the stone placement differs from piece to piece.

Lapis is a deep, slightly mottled blue flecked with pyrite, and it is at its best where light passes across it rather than through it — beside a window, on a bedroom wall, or above a dressing table. Hung where a draught reaches it, the feather tails move slightly, which gives the piece more life than a fixed wall decoration usually has.

This is a decorative object with no claimed properties beyond how it looks. The stone chips are small and the wire ends are fine, so hang it well out of reach of small children and pets. Dust it gently with a soft brush rather than a cloth, which will snag on the wirework, and keep it clear of a radiator, which will dry and curl the feathers over a winter. A hook rather than a nail is worth using, since the hoop is light and a nail head will not hold it steady in a draught.

• Handmade wirework on an iron hoop
• Approx. 16cm hoop, 65cm total drop
• Tumbled lapis lazuli chips
• Cotton thread and feather tails
• Each piece varies - no two are identical
• Hang out of reach of children and pets