{"id":60535,"date":"2025-05-12T12:19:10","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T09:19:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tanelveenre.com\/uncategorized\/get-berry-fied\/"},"modified":"2025-05-15T13:06:50","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T10:06:50","slug":"get-berry-fied","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tanelveenre.com\/en\/blog\/get-berry-fied\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cGet berry-fied!\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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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\u2019s 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\u2014mainly with the help of the stunning ERM collections and his childhood photos\u2014Tanel returned to Estonia\u2019s berries. Wild strawberries have the purest taste of an Estonian summer, and blackberries\u2014mysterious gems hidden in the bogs\u2014are like honeyed crown jewels in Estonia\u2019s berry world.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Tanel scanning a strawberry at his friend Hele-Mai\u2019s house, surrounded by the Estonian winter.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The \u201cbaking\u201d of the collection began in the heart of winter. When it came to finding authentic berries, Tanel\u2019s good friend and food therapist from Metsak\u00f6\u00f6k, Hele-Mai Alamaa, lent a hand. From her freezer, wild blackberries collected from the bogs of Southern Estonia and strawberries from the forests of L\u00e4\u00e4nemaa were found, which Tanel then turned into 3D scans.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Strawberry from Muhu!<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Tanel recalls berry-related memories that have deeply etched into his soul: \u201cIn my childhood summer paradise in P\u00f5lva, berry picking was held in high regard. I was a quick and patient picker \u2013 when I went with my grandmother to gather wild strawberries, I\u2019d 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 \u2013 small jars of wild strawberry jam became warm patches of summer light in Tallinn\u2019s winter.\u201d<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u201cBut children weren\u2019t taken to pick blackberries \u2013 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 \u2013 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!\u201d<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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One of the most fascinating and inspiring finds in the ERM collections \u2013 a Muhu blanket with striped strawberries. It\u2019s with such examples that deviate from the norm that Tanel feels most aligned with his soul.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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As a term of endearment, \u201cberry\u201d was highly valued among ancient Estonians. At a time when sugar and candies were prohibitively expensive, berries were the Estonian\u2019s sweet treat \u2013 which is why loved ones were often called \u201csweet little berry.\u201d Perhaps that\u2019s also why Mari is one of the most common Estonian female names.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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A charming connection through time \u2013 many strawberry motifs have been born on Estonian folk costumes in Muhu. In his adult life, Tanel has often gone berry picking in Muhu \u2013 perhaps even in the same spot where a former embroiderer once adorned her headdress \ud83d\ude09 Pictured is a Muhu headdress from the ERM collections.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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On the red skirt from Lihula, you can also see several bunches of wild strawberries. The image is from the ERM collections.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The wild strawberry holds special significance in Estonian folklore \u2013 it was used as a comparison for something particularly beautiful: \u201cA daughter as lovely as a wild strawberry.\u201d The value of the compliment was further amplified when the taste of the first strawberries was mentioned: \u201cAs lovely as the first ripe strawberry.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Interestingly, even burly men were described as \u201cA man as sweet as a strawberry!\u201d<\/p>\n

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The old Estonians were masters of juicy, straightforward expressions \u2013 when something was hopelessly lost, they would say, \u201cLike a strawberry in a bear\u2019s behind!\u201d<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Now, a wild blackberry from Southern Estonia and a strawberry from Western Estonia have been given eternal life in silver. Everyone has the opportunity to carry this piece of Estonian nature with them \u2013 whether as a pendant or earrings \u2013 always by their side. As we always say, \u201cIt comes in handy like a berry!\u201d<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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\u2019s old town studio to the ears of wearers. Now, ten years later, Tanel decided to dig into his roots and explore the broader meaning […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":60391,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[751],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/tanelveenre.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mari2-scaled.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tanelveenre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tanelveenre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tanelveenre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tanelveenre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tanelveenre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60535"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/tanelveenre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60535\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60563,"href":"https:\/\/tanelveenre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60535\/revisions\/60563"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tanelveenre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tanelveenre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tanelveenre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tanelveenre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}