Every Hairstrand Tells a Story - part 3

Nanna's background is in textile art, textile craftsmanship and design. Was it that experience that first sparked her fascination with materials? "Absolutely," she says without hesitation. "I've spent decades working with yarns and textiles. I've made appliqué and patchwork quilts, woven rugs, and designed knitwear, embroidery, clothing and home textiles. I've also designed gardens, homes and even small buildings. But horsehair... that completely captivated me."

(Nanna used to photograph her work mainly as slides, back in the days before camera phones, but you can see some of her work in her public Facebook album.) "My most natural instinct was to treat horsehair as a textile on a miniature scale. I'd seen jewellery where horsehair had been braided or plaited in different ways, but I wanted to create something more refined and more durable. Something that would allow me to play with patterns and colours." Let's go back to that fortieth birthday present. You had finished weaving the band. What happened next? "I visited a goldsmith and brought along Nitte's old olive snaffle bit. I asked her to make a miniature version of it. Once the tiny bit was attached to the woven band, my very first necklace was complete." Nanna pours us another cup of coffee while we browse through old photographs and treasured memories. "I'll never forget the moment my friend received her gift. Around twenty of us from the stable were sitting together for dinner. When dessert was served, she started opening her presents. She looked at the necklace and simply said, 'That's lovely,' before putting the box aside and moving on to the next gift. "The woman sitting beside her pointed out that the band had been woven from horsehair. She picked it up again and said, 'Really? Wow!'—and put the box aside once more... "But when someone explained that the horsehair had come from three generations of her own mares, tears welled up in her eyes. It was an incredibly emotional moment, filled with surprise, joy and deep affection. I remember thinking, 'She really loves it.'" "Only a few minutes later another woman whispered, 'I'd love one of those too.' By the time the fifth person had asked whether I could make one for her as well, I realised I'd created something truly special."

Horsehair necklace Taifun, the first design Tailhair and gold

Taifun