Palmetto Fan earrings

This simple but affective hand fan was created by bending the segments of a palmetto palm frond and weaving them into themselves. This is another illustration of the ingenuity of the Seminoles to shape their environment to serve their needs. The same fronds can also be used to thatch chickee roofs. The chickee style of architecture - palmetto thatch over a cypress log frame - was born during the early 1800s as a quick and disposable dwelling while they were avoiding American troops. Our example was woven by a Seminole Tribal member.