footed bowl

Glossy mango wood hosts a forest of flowers in a work of art by Nantana Sompamitre This exquisite bowl is lacquered inside and out; the red blossoms are etched by hand. She lathes the mango wood into the desired shape and coats it with lacquer. When dry, it is polished, and another coat is applied – up to twenty times – before as many six coats of pure lacquer are applied. The final layer is polished with powdered fired clay.

By Nantana Sompamitre, this beautiful decorative bowl exemplifies one of Thailand's oldest art forms. It is lacquered inside and out, and adorned with bands of brown. She lathes the mango wood into the desired shape and coats it with lacquer. When dry, it is polished, and another coat is applied – up to twenty times – before as many six coats of pure lacquer are applied. The final layer is polished with powdered fired clay.

Handcrafted of ceramic in the traditional style of barro negro, this decorative bowl is the result of skill and imagination. Crafted by Anakarem, i is elaborated with circle and triangle motifs, meticulously incised into the clay. It stands atop a base.

"This is is one of a kind," the artisan explains. "It is larger than much our work. My father and I crafted it especially for Mexico's prestigious Premio Nacional de la Ceramica, a nationwide competition."

This contest is held annually in artisan town of Tlaquepaque as part of the festivities for its patron saint and Anakarem has won prizes for traditional ceramics. First place winners are exhibited in the National Ceramics Museum Pantaleon Panduro, named for a master artisan (1847-1909) who founded a dynasty of ceramic artists.

The natural grains of dark cedar and light cypress wood present a harmonious contrast in this hand crafted wooden bowl from Guatemala. Hugo Pena uses recycled bits of wood to carefully craft this beautiful serving bowl.

Tradition is transformed into contemporary décor through Nantana Sompamitre's talented artistry. She handcrafts this precious footed bowl centerpiece in the image of Buddhist offering bowls. Sompamitre works with a team of skilled artisans trained by her, and together 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 until a rigid base is formed, and a final polishing is executed with sandpaper and several coats of pure lacquer are painted on the object, with drying periods in between each coat.

Next, chicken or duck eggshells are thoroughly cleaned and finely cracked to be patiently arranged in a mosaic pattern upon a fresh coat of lacquer. The work again lacquered twice, and when dry it is sanded in water until the eggshells slowly appear. The piece is finally rinsed with water and polished with powdered fired clay, resulting in an alluring distinctive gleam.

Handcrafted of coconut shell and cement, this decorative bowl takes the shape of a chalice with spiked patterns. Standing atop three legs, the bowl is painted with a white and beige finish. Thailand's Somyot Sawasdee designs the bowl, working with a passion for ecological preservation.

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.

Standing on three jaguar heads, this vessel honors the legacy of El Salvador's Maya culture. "This is a replica from the Maya Pipil group, and we used the same ceramic techniques they develop over a thousand years ago," explains Oscar Rodolfo Mendoza. The terracotta vessel is painted by hand with dyes obtained from achiote seeds, as well as with acrylic paints.

Handcrafted of coconut shell and cement, this decorative bowl makes an elegant and dreamy addition to your home decor. It stands atop three legs, painted green on the outside and gold on the inside. Thailand's Somyot Sawasdee designs the bowl, working with a passion for ecological preservation.

Resembling a brick-like pattern, pieces of palo blanco and caoba are carefully assembled to create this striking serving bowl. Guatemalan artisan Hugo Pena creates this centerpiece for parties and get-togethers, or just as a beautiful home accent.

Inspired by the ancient Teotihuacan culture, this fascinating decorative vessel is crafted by the Barrios Home Workshop in Mexico. The footed sculpture is formed from three types of local clay and painted by hand with Mesoamerican motifs.

This original design from the Barrios Home Workshop in Mexico is inspired by Teotihuacan, one of the oldest cultures in Mesoamerica. The footed censer is crafted from three types of local clay before being fired and then carefully hand painted.