Handmade Bird Pins by the Takahashi Family

 At the Japanese American National Museum there was an exhibit of hand carved birds by the Takahashi* family.  They started making these during their incarceration in the internment camps during World War II and continued to make them after their release. They were beautiful pins and were a means for the family to continue to make a living once freed from incarceration. I remember these pins well as my mother bought several and gave me one.

*to learn more about the Takahashi family:

 http://www.takahashibirds.com/the_artists.html