During a residency in Japan, I was captivated by ‘shiminawa’, rice straw ropes that enclose and encircle sacred spaces. I explored ideas around enclosure and boundaries, twisting and braiding coils, swinging them in circular motion to enclose woven like vessel forms. ‘Encircle’, has an architectural presence, the top section suggestive of a stone pagoda with finial, which like shiminawa, are both decorative and symbolic, frequently used to accent and define space in shrines and gardens.