Steampunk Heart

Material: Plum wood, shaped into a beautiful, smooth heart pendant, inlayed with real metal cogs and gears

Size: approximately 4 x 3 cm / 1.3/4 x 1.1/4 inch.

Pyrography: This heart has added burnt accents, like shading and cracks.

Finish: Natural Tung oil finish, which really brings out the color of the wood, and leaves a matte surface. It is non-toxic. No stain or dye has been used to color the wood.

Necklace: A black leather necklace with a lobster clasp fitting and has an adjustable length of 51 to 56 cm  /  20 to 22 inches.

! Note: The cogs and gears are glued into the heart. They do not turn.

Symbolism

My steampunk hearts carry the story of what it means to keep going even when life has cracked you open. The inlayed, tiny gears represent our heart’s inner workings that keep us moving, even when we feel worn or we broke down and got stitched back together again. My steampunk hearts represent survival and resilience, serving as a reminder that a heart can be hurt, scarred, mended, and still continue to thrive!

Artist note about steampunk

Unlike many of my pieces that are inspired directly by the Finnish forest and have nature’s imagery burned onto them, these steampunk hearts come from a different place in my imagination. I’ve always loved the steampunk aesthetic; the mix of old machinery, tiny gears, and vintage metalwork and I enjoy combining it with the warmth of wood.

Even though these hearts aren’t inspired by nature, they still carry the philosophy that guides all of my work: I choose wood that is always sustainable (from our own land or from the local thrift store) and I love giving materials a new life. Each tiny gear and watch part is carefully placed by hand, often taking me hours of fiddling with tweezers; a patience exercise that I secretly love! 😉 These little machines remind me of my teenage dream of becoming a watchmaker. It was a path I didn’t take, but that curiosity still lives in my hands. You can read about this in my free ebook (link below)!

I also want my art to carry meaning. While much of my work honors nature and our connection to it, these steampunk hearts honor the resiliance of the human spirit. There’s something meaningful in carving a heart that holds both organic grain and intricate metal, as if the story inside it is part human, part machine.. and with its cracks scars and staples, a once “broken heart” is still surviving, even thriving!

! Don’t forget to get my FREE ebook with your purchase, if you’d like to hear my story of how Iona Wood Art came to be! -> https:/product/nurtured-by-nature/