The iconic Earberries Earrings first saw the light of day in 2014. Over the past decade, more than 50,000 berries have made their way from Tanel’s old town studio to the ears of wearers. Now, ten years later, Tanel decided to dig into his roots and explore the broader meaning of being Estonian. Reflecting on symbols of Estonia—mainly with the help of the stunning ERM collections and his childhood photos—Tanel returned to Estonia’s berries. Wild strawberries have the purest taste of an Estonian summer, and blackberries—mysterious gems hidden in the bogs—are like honeyed crown jewels in Estonia’s berry world.
The “baking” of the collection began in the heart of winter. When it came to finding authentic berries, Tanel’s good friend and food therapist from Metsaköök, Hele-Mai Alamaa, lent a hand. From her freezer, wild blackberries collected from the bogs of Southern Estonia and strawberries from the forests of Läänemaa were found, which Tanel then turned into 3D scans.
Tanel recalls berry-related memories that have deeply etched into his soul: “In my childhood summer paradise in Põlva, berry picking was held in high regard. I was a quick and patient picker – when I went with my grandmother to gather wild strawberries, I’d fill a two-liter jar to the brim. Oh, the joy when I was rewarded with a big spoonful of fresh wild strawberry jam from a tin bowl! The rest of the jam was canned – small jars of wild strawberry jam became warm patches of summer light in Tallinn’s winter.”
“But children weren’t taken to pick blackberries – walking in the bogs was something mystical, exotic, even dangerous. When the pickers returned home, the blackberries were spread out on tables to ripen, and the house would fill with a honeyed fragrance. Blackberry jam was even more precious – in our giant pantry, it seemed that those few jars had a golden aura around them. Sunday, when a jar of blackberry jam was opened to accompany pancakes, felt like a real celebration!”
As a term of endearment, “berry” was highly valued among ancient Estonians. At a time when sugar and candies were prohibitively expensive, berries were the Estonian’s sweet treat – which is why loved ones were often called “sweet little berry.” Perhaps that’s also why Mari is one of the most common Estonian female names.
The wild strawberry holds special significance in Estonian folklore – it was used as a comparison for something particularly beautiful: “A daughter as lovely as a wild strawberry.” The value of the compliment was further amplified when the taste of the first strawberries was mentioned: “As lovely as the first ripe strawberry.”
Interestingly, even burly men were described as “A man as sweet as a strawberry!”
The old Estonians were masters of juicy, straightforward expressions – when something was hopelessly lost, they would say, “Like a strawberry in a bear’s behind!”
