Lacquered wood offering centerpiece, "Khantok"
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Mystic in conception and antique in artistry, this lacquer khantok offering tray exudes solemn elegance and tradition. Nantana Sompamitre works alongside her trained artisans to create this piece, and they seek to preserve Thailand's kruang-kern, or "lacquerware heritage."
"This piece is inspired by the people's faith in Buddhism and their ceremonies," explains Sompamitre. "This is the real character of Lanna people, it represents this rich culture of ours."
To craft a piece such as this one, mango wood is carefully hand-shaped upon a lathe and then a mixture of lacquer - obtained from trees and ashes of burnt rice paddy husks - is applied. Upon exposure to air the mixture dries to form a watertight seal which is polished before another coat is applied. This process is repeated up to twenty times, building up a rigid base, and a final polish is given with a sandpaper-like leaf. Then up to six coats of pure lacquer are painted on the object, with drying periods in between each coat. The final layer is washed with water and polished with powdered fired clay, giving it a gleaming shine. Next a gilding technique called lai rot nam (watered pattern), is applied whereby it is firstly engraved free-hand with a sharp-pointed tool, and then the piece is dusted with a wooden powder. The black background is covered with a yellow gummy paint, which comes from a tree resin that has been placed in water for a day. After that, a thin coat of lacquer is applied to the entire surface and, before it dries, gold leaf is placed over it. The piece is then left to dry for approximately 20 hours. Finally the whole lacquer ware is thoroughly rinsed in water rinsing out impurities or unattached gold leaf. The result is a piece of rich artistry where shimmering gold engraved designs contrast against a high-gloss black background.
- 2.19 kgs
- 4.8 lbs
- 20.5 cm H x 39 cm Diam.
- 8" H x 15.25" Diam.
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Customer Reviews
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Timothy
Verified Reviewer
02/23/2024
"Beautifully detailed"
This is a lovely piece and I am sure you will enjoy it as much as I do. Enjoy!
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Katherine
Verified Reviewer
06/17/2023
"Gorgeous blue box for earrings!"
I love my dark blue box that has very detailed artistic lines drawn all over it. I have placed my favorite earrings inside of it. I want to thank the artist who shared their talents to create this beautiful box.
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Karen
Verified Reviewer
06/14/2023
"Beautiful!"
This was a gift, and my friend loved it.
Purchased Item:
Royal Heritage Cat, Lacquer Wood Trinket Box
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Sammy
Verified Reviewer
05/25/2023
"Almost great"
The eggshells were less uniformly placed than I had hoped. The blotchiness is off putting.
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Marsha
Verified Reviewer
01/27/2023
"Beautiful Blue"
This lovely blue lacquered wood box goes perfectly in my blue accented bedroom. I havent decided what it will hold. But it looks great as it is.
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P
Verified Reviewer
01/06/2023
"Cute and pretty!"
I gave these as a gift and they were very much appreciated for looking cute and beautiful!
Purchased Item:
Fantastic Fish, Lacquered Wood Boxes (Set of 3)
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"It's all up to chance – it's up there in the air and you just have to grab it. If I hadn't, I would still be selling food."
"My name is Nantana Sompamitre and you can call me 'Nan.' I was born on May 1, 1950 in a calm and peaceful village in northern Thailand. My... read more