STORMSKERRY MAJA
A symbol of life by the sea
I skärgården, i havet, finner våra smycken sin form. Det är också här som Anni Blomqvists berättelser om Stormskärs Maja utspelar sig. Maja har på många sätt blivit ryggraden i den åländska kulturen och en symbol för skärgårdens starka kvinnor – de som såg ljuset vid horisonten även när det var som mörkast, de som levde på havets villkor.
Smyckeskollektionen Stormskärs Maja är en hyllning till alla som i dag värnar om havet. Ålgräset bildar täta undervattensängar rika på liv. Det renar vattnet, motverkar erosion och ger föda och skydd åt livet på bottnen.
Det är också ålgräsets slingrande och böljande rörelser som har gett liv åt smyckena i kollektionen Stormskärs Maja.
STORMSKERRY MAJA HEART stud earrings
STORMSKERRY MAJA HEART hook earrings
STORMSKERRY MAJA HEART S Necklace
STORMSKERRY MAJA FEST Necklace
STORMSKERRY MAJA PARTY stud earrings
STORMSKERRY MAJA NET necklace (90 cm)
STORMSKERRY MAJA MODIG 18K ring
Maria’s Story
"The winding shapes of eelgrass became the inspiration I needed"
I have always wanted to create a jewellery collection on the theme of Stormskerry Maja. Maja was the main character in a TV series that was broadcast throughout the Nordic countries in the 1970s. The series was based on Anni Blomqvist’s books about Maja and her life in the Åland archipelago in the 19th century. Back then, people lived entirely on the sea’s terms. The sea could be both generous and cruel. In the series and the books, the sea takes both Stormskerry Maja’s husband and son. In real life, Anni Blomqvist suffered the same fate.
I began working on this a couple of years ago, but at first it was difficult to find the core idea. Then it suddenly came to me: we live by and with the sea. Water is what matters most. It is about living in harmony with the sea, about taking care of it. Just like the underwater meadows of eelgrass, which both purify the waters of the Baltic Sea and provide shelter and food for mussels and fish.
The winding shapes of eelgrass became the inspiration I needed. It is a plant that deserves to be celebrated, but also needs protection.
Maria Karlström
Guldviva’s designer & head goldsmith
ANNI BLOMQVIST’S “STORMSKERRY MAJA,” A SYMBOL OF THE STRONG WOMEN OF THE ARCHIPELAGO
Anni Blomqvist’s novel I stormens spår from 1966 was the first of six novels about Stormskerry Maja and the harsh life in the outer archipelago. Anni Blomqvist knew everything about life in the archipelago and the unpredictable sea. The first book was a tribute to her husband and son, both of whom had lost their lives at sea.
Today, Stormskerry Maja is the backbone of Åland’s cultural heritage and a symbol of the strong women of the archipelago – those who can see the light on the horizon even in the darkest of times, and who know how important it is to live in harmony with nature and the sea.
The stories about Stormskerry Maja did not only win the hearts of the people of Åland. In the 1970s, Stormskerry Maja became a popular TV series that was broadcast in all the Nordic countries. Thanks to Stormskerry Maja, we now have a peephole into life in the archipelago in the 19th century.