DIA320xH240mm, Hong Kong
Remember the antique lotus leaf lid that was featured in last winter’s blog? I started a pottery project of making a vessel to match the lid, after several versions this is the final version which I am most happy with. It is ideal for serving soup and of course lotus leaf rice.
DIA125xH60mm, China
This bowl bring back a lot of childhood memory for me, I remember it containing this delicious red bean paste desert.
In the old days, these type of bowls are used by the hawker street stalls, “dai pai dong”, which has long been replaced by plastic bowls. Tung Po, my favorite place, is probably the only dai pai dong that still using similar bowls. The use of the bowls are not more sophisticated, they are chilled and beer is served for drinking challenges.
W300xL460mm, Hong Kong
These beautiful tote bags are the creation of CottonCar for her collaboration with Soil.
An imaginative use of our fabric with a contemporary design.
Available @ Pop-Up Bookshop Gallery @ Fringe Vault
W300xL400mm
W310xL400mm
DIA165mm, Hong Kong
A simple necklace with a handmade millefiori bead. The making of a millefiori bead is though not as simple …
COLLECTIBLE JEWELLERY
SOMETHING OLD SOMETHING NEW
W130xD70xH400mm, Thailand
Tomorrow is the 2557th birthday of the Buddha, Vesakh, a holy day that commensurate the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama Buddha by Buddhist all over the world. The date of the celebration differ slightly throughout the different countries, 8th of lunar April, in Thailand for example, Vesakh is on the 24th May.
On this special day, the devoted Buddhist will observe the 8 Precepts:
If you happen to be in Hong Kong, join in the celebration.
ASIAN FOLKCRAFT COLLECTION
SOIL X MOUNTAIN FOLKCRAFT
W200xL310xH20mm, Myanmar
According to Burmese astrology, there are eight days in a week. They are Sunday, Monday. Tuesday, Wednesday (till noon), Rahu (Wednesday afternoon till the next morning), Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Burmese people believe that the astrological day a person was born is a great determinant in his or her personality and life. For example, a person born on Monday would be jealous; on Tuesday. Honest; on Wednesday, short tempered but soon calm again; the trait being intensified on the so called eighth day of Rahu; on Thursday, mild; on Friday, talkative; on Saturday, hot tempered and quarrelsome; and on Sunday, miserly.
Burmese also believe that interpersonal relation between people is also determined by the day they were born. For example, Monday born and Friday born would not get along well while Monday born and Wednesday or Rahu (Wednesday evening) born would get along very well. At the pagodas in Myanmar, there are always eight planetary posts build into the pagoda structure, with the representative animal symbols, where the believers could donate offerings at their respective planets to influence the appropriate powers.
These astrological symbols are often depicted on traditional Burmese lacquerware. The lacquered tray shown here is decorated with brass wire and the symbols are delicately made by palm skin.
This is one of the many Burmese lacquer ware from the SOIL collection, come check it out at the Asian Folkcraft event on at Mountain Folkcraft!
Don’t forget our collectable jewellery event is still on.
Newly arrived pieces with will be featured in the posts of the next following days.
These pieces of jewellery are carefully put together with the art of Chinese knots with the strings all handwoven for the design.
Stay tune!
To see all our jewellery collection, click HERE!
DIA200xH150mm, Myanmar
ASIAN FOLKCRAFT COLLECTION
SOIL X MOUNTAIN FOLKCRAFT
It is almost certain that Burma acquired the technique of lacquer production from China where it has a three-thousand year history. However, the use of lacquerware was not confined to royalty and the monkhood in Burma. Lacquer objects were used daily by commoners. Food, refreshments, clothing, cosmetics and flowers are all put in lacquer receptacles.
The importance of lacquer to the Burmese is probably equivalent to the modern uses of porcelain, glass and plastic combined. Indeed, lacquer has many of the characteristics of modern plastic. It is light, waterproof, easily moulded and dries to a hard state. It can be applied to virtually any surface: plain or carved wood, bamboo, paper, fabric, even metal and stone.
This fruit bowl is made by coiled bamboo, covered by over 20 layers of lacquer and decorated with the Burmese astrological symbols. Process of producing green lacquer ware is rather time consuming: One part indigo was added to ten parts of orpiment to produce a traditional green color. With age, many such green lacquer wares have come to assume appeasing opaque turquoise hue.
DIA130xH90mm, Myanmar
Veronica Gritsenko is a British-Ukrainian artist and scholar. In 2000 she set up the Black Elephant studio in Bagan, Burma and eventually developed her own unique technique and designs based on ancient methods and materials. Black Elephant Lacquer is collected by private connoisseurs and was acquired by the British Museum and The Royal Botanic Gardens Museum.
These bowls are made with horsehair woven in between very thin bamboo splints, with further application of lacquer mixed with rice husk ashes. Burma is famous for a special type of incised lacquerware called “yun” – It’s engraved with a sharp iron stylus and the incisions are filled with colouring matter to create a design.
Item from SOIL for the ASIAN FOLKCRAFT COLLECTION
DIA60xH50mm, Myanmar
For the first item of the Asian Folkcraft Collection, we have a miniature of Burmese’s traditional lacquer betel box from SOIL.
Betel, tobacco and pickled tea is an expression in Burmese language that speaks of hospitality and welcomes a visitor to one’s home.
The circular betel box at first glance, looks solid, but is in reality nicely fitted with a lid over a small container for holding betel nut. The top of the bowl is fitted with two shallow trays, one on top of the other. The upper tray has four little cups to hold ingredients for making betel nuts: cloves, cutch, and seeds, shredded wild Licorice or sweet creeper.
In the second tray is a layer of dried tobacco leaves. Only when the tray is taken out of the main bowl are green fresh betel leaves revealed.
Mountain Folkcraft 