Bracelets
OUR GOAL IS TO GIVE BACK
Pencil for Change 5 elements Bracelets provides full-time jobs to artisans worldwide, and donates millions to charity through products that give back.
Our bracelets have been completely made with leftover vegetable tanned premium leather from creating our Educational Toys and other products. Following the footsteps of United Nations Sustainability Goals we are working towards minimizing our carbon footprints and also providing full time employment to artisans. All of our bracelets are hand painted making each bracelet unique in its own charm. We have given each of our bracelets different shapes and structures like cylindrical, flat strap, knots, different styles of pleats and we have also added an option of handmade multi colored Lac and also have 5 different styles of leather strips depicting the 5 elements.
Lac is a natural resin secreted by insects that feed on certain host trees. It is a valuable natural product, used widely in the food, furniture, cosmetics etc. India is the largest producer of lac in the world and contributes to about 70% of the world’s need. The coated branches of the host trees are cut and harvested as stick lac, and then the harvested stick lac is crushed and sieved to remove impurities and then shaped into a cylindrical shape which we incorporated into our bracelets.
The history of bracelets is as old as 5000 BCE. Starting with materials like bones, stones and woods to serve religious and spiritual interests. According to the National Geographic Society, the Scarab Bracelet is one of the most recognized symbols of ancient Egypt. The scarab represented rebirth and regeneration. Carved scarabs were worn as jewelry and wrapped into the linen bandages of mummies.
We have taken the concept of Five Elements and created the bracelet with 5 strips depicting 5 Elements in human body. As per the Indian mythology the pan- chamahabhuta are the five elements of nature. Every human body essentially is made from five elements which are Earth (bhumi), Water (jala), Fire (agni), Air (Vayu) and Space (aakash). Hindus believe that, upon death; all these 5 elements of the human body are dissolved to respective elements of nature, so that it can balance the cycle of nature.
Each of these five elements has its own functions and characteristic as described below:
Earth (bhumi):
The first element of panchamahabhuta is “Earth” which is translated at Bhumi in Sanskrit. This element is perceived by five senses that are Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch and Sight. The physical body with muscles and bones refers to Earth.
Water (jala):
The second most important element is “water”, jala in Sanskrit. This element has no odor (smell) but can be heard, felt, seen and tasted. In the human body, blood and other fluids refer to Water.
Fire (agni):
The next higher element in the human body is “fire”, agni in Sanskrit. In the human body the temperature refers to the fire. It can be heard, felt and seen.
Air (pavan):
The fourth element of panchmahabhuta is “air”, pavan in Sanskrit. Air can be felt and heard only; one cannot see the air. In the human body, the oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body refers to Air. It is considered as one of the most important factor in Pranayama (breathing exercise)
Sky (aakash):
The fifth and last element of panchmahabhuta is “space” which is translated in Sanskrit at aakash. Space is the medium of sound but is inaccessible to all other senses. And in the human body the Athma (Soul) refers to Space.
The combinations of these 5 elements make our body and will dissolve into respective elements upon death.