Puzuri

Ausma Spalviņa

Puzuri is a traditional ornament that has been passed down in Latvia since
ancient times. It is made from straw and shaped like a regular octahedron, which symbolizes various concepts such as the underworld, the earth, and the sky; the past, present, and future; the four cardinal directions (north, south, east, west); and the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter).

By connecting multiple regular octahedrons, it expresses a worldview of the universe expanding infinitely from a single unit.

It is said that decorating a room with it brings special energy or power.

– How to make –

Step by step

1) Prepare 12 straw pieces of equal length and a long needle threaded with string longer than the total length of the 12 straw pieces.

2) Thread the string through 3 straw pieces to form a triangle, and tie a knot to secure it.

3) Next, thread 2 more straw pieces and loop the thread around the vertex (corner) of the triangle.

4) Thread 2 more straw pieces and again loop the thread around the triangle’s vertex.

5) Once more, thread 2 straw pieces and loop the thread around the vertex. You should now have 4 connected triangles in a row.

6) Thread just 1 more straw and loop the thread around the vertex of the leftmost triangle.

7) When you lift the top vertex, it will form a 3D shape.

8) Thread the remaining 2 straws one at a time, looping the thread around each vertex.

9) The thread will return to the starting point. Tie it to the original end of the string with a knot to complete the piece.

You can create several of these basic forms in various sizes and combine them freely to construct a large-scale artwork.

A timeless Latvian folk ornament

– How to make –