Momma's Hanko
That red stamp you see on Berries and Flour labels is more than a mark — it’s a signature.
What does (マ) mean?
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MA in Katakana, the written alphabet used for foreign names and words.
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People wonder what the red stamp is on Berries and Flour product labels. It is the signature of the artist, used in addition to, or in place of, a written signature. A stone carved hanko is used with a waxy red material to produce the image on paper.
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In Japan, the hanko is a personal seal. Some are formal, registered, and used for business and large purchases, such as homes and cars. Others are used by artists to “sign” their work. My very talented mother, Marilyn Leuszler, spent 10 years training in Japan with Masters in Sumi-e (black-ink painting), Sho-do (brush calligraphy), and silk embroidery (Nihon Shishu). When she earned a Japanese National Certificate of Proficiency in brush calligraphy, her sensei gave her the name "RIN" to use for her artistic work. The third syllable in her name, “MA-RI-RIN”, has the meaning of the small glass windchime hanging in many Japanese gardens in the summer. For Berries and Flour, she selected the first character, “MA”, simply because she is Heidi’s Ma. It seemed fitting!​
MA-RI-RIN
MA
Various stamps for RIN
Marilyn also carves her own stamps out of jade and other stones. She often paints with inks she learned to make in the mountains near Kyoto, rubbed on her hand-carved ink-stones, and on handmade papers. Her work has been called holistic in nature because the tools and materials interest her almost as much as the finished work.
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Any artwork on our labels that has the (マ) was painted by her. I hope to get 100% of the art from her brushes, but we will see. We use a lot of plants! Her art has her synergistic western-eastern style, is morphologically correct, and brings love to all of our products.
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My mother taught me to forage, process, and create recipes and food. It is fitting and heart-melting that her artwork covers what my company makes from those early lessons.