Traditional Round Decorative Boxes with Lacquered Finish

Nantana Sompamitre orchestrates a floral revelry detailed in gold for the design of this decorative box. Hand-carved of mango wood, the etched images are underscored by glossy black lacquer in the tradition of Thai dAcor.

• Dimension - 2.5" H x 3" Diam.
• Weight - 0.22
• Color - Brown
• Hand-crafted item -- color, size and/or motif may vary slightly
• Thailand

Tradition is transformed into contemporary d�cor 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.

Keep your tiniest treasures safe and secure with these adorable mini decorative boxes from Thai artisan Nantana Sompamitre. Crafted from mango wood, the round boxes are hand painted in blue and purple, engraved with a floral design, and treated with a glossy lacquer finish.

Perpetuating Thailand's ancient lacquerware tradition, Subin Tositarat presents this petite decorative box. It depicts a village shrouded in mist, painted by hand on the circular lid.

Product Features

• Hand-crafted item -- color, size and/or motif may vary slightly
• 4.9" H x 4.8" Diam.
• Mango wood
• Black and White

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.

Keep your tiniest treasures safe and secure with these adorable mini decorative boxes from Thai artisan Nantana Sompamitre. Crafted from mango wood, the round boxes are hand painted in red and green, engraved with a floral design, and treated with a glossy lacquer finish.

Refined beauty emanates from this set comprising a writing pad and picture frame, handcrafted by Nikom. A versatile artist, he uses 25 sheets of mulberry paper to create the elegant writing pad, and the photo frame will prove the perfect place for a picture of a loved one to inspire long letters. Nikom calls this pattern Kanok Karn Khot.

Perpetuating Thailand's ancient lacquerware tradition, Subin Tositarat presents this petite decorative box. It depicts a forest of whispering bamboo, painted by hand on the circular lid.

Product Features

• Hand-crafted item -- color, size and/or motif may vary slightly
• 2.7" H x 3.9" Diam.
• Mango wood
• Black