About Lacquerware The art of lacquerware is extremely labour intensive and one piece can take a highly skilled craftsman up to 3 months to complete. This is just how unique the lacquerware is. The manufacture of Bamboo lacquerware has been practised in Asia for thousands of years and has been used over the centuries as both an extremely durable type of homeware but also to enhance home décor’s ranging from humble modest homes to that of some of the grandest palaces. Due to the production process and the materials used, it is both highly durable and beautifully finished. Food safe, heat and moist resistant, means that all of our products can be used to eat from, are fully functional and not just delightful to the eye. All of our bamboo lacquerware is completely handmade in Vietnam, using compressed Bamboo with up to 27 layers of high quality lacquer over the top and uniquely hand painted using an array of natural materials. We at mish mash have spent a lot of time sourcing to find the best there is to offer in the production of bamboo lacquer ware. It is the production process which is highly important as to the quality and to the beauty of its finish. We not only have the best manufacturing team we can find, but also highly talented designers meaning you’re getting lacquerware of the highest quality and the very best in design. Our range of bamboo lacquerware range includes lacquer plates, lacquer bowls, lacquer photo albums, lacquer boxes, lacquer placemat sets, lacquer platters, lacquer wine bottle holders, lacquer vases, lacquer coasters, lacquer trays, lacquer mirrors and other lacquerware accessories. The photo’s on are website do not do justice to the absolute beauty of the bamboo lacquerware. To see it in the flesh is something different, and that’s why we offer a no quibble money back guarantee, because we’re confident you’ll be extremely satisfied with your purchase. As your lacquerware is a natural product which has been individually handcrafted no-one else will own a piece exactly like yours! top of page back to homepage _______________________________________________________________________________________ Design
To keep at the forefront of our field, we have a team of highly talented and innovative designers working together to create a fusion of East meets West. Mixing contemporary, stylish, breathtaking design with ancient craftsmanship, we have ranges of bamboo lacquerware designed exclusively for us and so unique to you. We’re constantly creating new designs and forever looking for inspiration to mould, blend, and innovate new ideas into our lacquerware ranges, always ensuring we’re ahead of the game and offering the very best in style and design. top of page back to homepage _______________________________________________________________________________________ Finish Bamboo lacquerware is created by applying layers of high quality lacquer to wooden objects using different materials and different processes to create desired finishes.The bamboo lacquerware can range from having a deep lustrous finish, to a metallic sparkling surface, a matt finish or even just a plain natural coiled bamboo surface, but one thing is common, all are beautiful and you will not be disappointed. With the metallic and glossy ranges, the gold leaf is hand painted on in a unique way, giving an affect of a very subtle squared pattern, something you can just about see on the photo’s, but something you’ll absolutely adore. Mother of Pearl and Crushed Eggshell are also used as centre pieces and finishing touches, please see ‘inlay’s’ for further details. top of page back to homepage _______________________________________________________________________________________ Inlays
We use the finest Mother of Pearl and Crushed Eggshell there is for the finishing touches on some of our pieces. Normally used as the central inlay for some items, you’ll be astounded at the beauty it adds and the amount of work that has gone into each individual piece. Mother of Pearl A variety of Mother of Pearl from the sea is cut into different shapes with the thickness of about 2 mm each. The artist then draws the designs over its surface and uses a coping saw to cut them into small pieces, which are eventually gathered and inlaid onto the lacquerware.Once being inlaid, the Mother of Pearl design can be a bit thicker than the surface of the wood, so the lacquerware artist will then carefully apply natural lacquer to build up the lacquerware surface step by step until it reaches the same level, creating an even surface. The Mother of Pearl truly is beautiful and when turned in the light, shows off its many subtle pastel colours. Eggshell Duck eggshell is specially applied in Vietnamese lacquerware, only EVER using discarded shells. It is the shell of the ducks already hatched that give it it’s thickness and whiteness. The eggshell is stuck onto the lacquerware following a ready made design and then coated over with layers of lacquer and washed in water. This process is repeated and then polished. The Crushed Eggshell gives the lacquerware fine detail, and a fantastic contrasting effect. top of page back to homepage _______________________________________________________________________________________ Production Process Hand crafting of the bamboo lacquerware is a painstaking process, extremely labour intensive and the craftsmanship of just one piece can take up to 3 months. To start with the sap has to be collected from several types of tree, and because only very small amounts of sap can be collected at a time, every little drop is highly precious. The craftsman then has to carefully prepare the bamboo by an intense drying process to rid of any moisture in the wood, as moisture would affect the absorption of the lacquer to the wood. The wood is then shaped, polished and strengthened before applying the layers of lacquer. Each layer once applied is left to dry naturally and then using special techniques is hand polished to a smooth surface to make ready for the next layer of lacquer. Each piece in our collection has up to 27 layers of lacquer. In between applying the layers of lacquer, the colour is added, alongside any inlays or finishing effects. Gold Leaf, Crushed Eggshell and Mother of Pearl are among some of the natural materials used to decorate the items. The very last layers of lacquer are made from the very purest, best and most transparent kinds of lacquer to give the pieces finish an extra added depth. The production process is extremely labour intensive and time consuming as it has a minimum of 20 stages to go through before completion and just like every aspect of the production process, it is done with astounding skill, extreme care and a knowledge learned only through centuries of craftsmanship, which results in some of the finest, unique, most beautiful and durable handcrafted items the world has to offer. top of page back to homepage _______________________________________________________________________________________ Care
Durability and beauty are the 2 characteristics that give bamboo lacquerware the prominence it has. But despite lacquer being one of the most durable coatings there is, it does require some care, like anything to keep its beauty and retain its finish for years to come. Lacquerware is easily maintained. To clean, just wipe with a damp cloth or wash with tepid water. Dry immediately, using a soft cloth.Any surface scratches can be treated with a good polish found at any hardware store. See a sales clerk for advice if needed. Lacquerware is completely food safe and can be used for both hot and cold foods, but to prolong the beauty and finish of it always clean and dry after use and DO NOT - leave to soak in water - expose to extreme heat including serving sizzling hot foods on - use chemicals such as washing up liquid to clean - use in a microwave - use in a dishwasher - use any abrasives on it - use sharp cutlery on it top of page back to homepage _______________________________________________________________________________________ About Bamboo Bamboo is renowned for its durability and strength, and is the strongest growing woody plant on earth. These qualities are displayed in some Asian countries where they even use Bamboo in construction, using it for scaffolding. In such places as Hong Kong you can see bamboo towering the side to the very tops of some of the world’s highest skyscraper.But its also its natural beauty that has earned its place in the art of creating some of the worlds most beautiful handmade homewares and furniture.Bamboo, a plant of the family Gramineae, is the longest grass in the world. The length can vary, and some bamboo plants are as short as 30 centimetres, while giant timber bamboo can grow to a height of over 40 metres or 100 feet.
It consists of a hollow culms or stem, with nodes or joints between segments of the stem, and oval leaves. The culms, branches and leaves stay green throughout the bamboo’s life, even during winter.
The bamboo’s lifespan is not very long – only about 20 years. Interestingly, all the bamboo of a particular species will flower at exactly the same time, regardless of their geographical location. Being a very versatile plant, bamboo grows in a lot of different climates – it can be found on all the continents except Antarctica. Moreover, it is incredibly flexible; it will bend in strong winds, but it rarely breaks. With a tensile strength superior to mild steel, and a weight-to-strength ratio better than graphite, bamboo is the strongest growing woody plant on Earth. A testament to its durability is the fact that a stand of bamboo plants near ground zero at Hiroshima in 1945 survived the atomic blast and sent up new shoots within days. It is also perhaps the fastest growing plant with some varieties growing at the rate of 5 cm per hour or 1.5 metres a day.The bamboo plant has a wide variety of uses, ranging from being purely decorative to being an important source of fuel. It is utilised as wood in construction work, furniture, utensils, fibre and paper. Bamboo charcoal makes a good fuel, and because it is three times as porous as wood, and releases more energy. In ancient Chinese culture it was believed that a gift of living bamboo brought good luck. Thus, a fairly recent use of the bamboo plant is as a popular Feng Shui gift.
Bamboo is a “Renewable” material. Its one of earth’s fastest growing plants. Bamboo needs no replanting and grows without fertilizers .Bamboo is not a wood but a species of grass. There are more than 1000 species of bamboo in the world.
Since bamboo can be used for so many of the same uses that hardwoods can, it will end up saving many trees all over the world. For example, a 60 foot hardwood tree can take up to 60 years to replace. A 60 foot bamboo plant only takes around 60 days to replace! Therefore, it makes more sense to use bamboo for as much as possible, since it so much faster to grow and has so many uses. Bamboo is a common plant in many parts of the world, but it is one which most people don't give a second thought too. It is a vital plant to many country's economies and may even help save the environment as a replacement for the slower growing hardwoods.So, bamboo is: - The fastest growing plant on this planet
- A critical element in the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
- A viable replacement for wood
- An enduring natural resource
- Versatile with a short growth cycle
- A critical element of the economy
- An essential structural material in earthquake architecture
- A renewable resource for agroforestry production.
- A natural controllable barrier
- An ancient medicine
- Integrally involved in culture and the arts
Read about why Bamboo is eco friendly by clicking here top of page back to homepage _______________________________________________________________________________________ History of Lacquerware Asian lacquer is known globally to be the best the world has to offer. An ancient old craft, evidence indicating that it was learned over 4000 years ago and practised and perfected over the centuries since, it is in Asia, that you’ll find some of the worlds best craftsmen and guru’s in the art of lacquerware. Amidst the Phu Tho province, located in the heart of Northern Vietnam, there is a tradition of harvesting lacquer, which dates back more than twenty centuries. It is here that the early Vietnamese artisans discovered how to use the juices derived from the Rhus Succedanea Tree, a sumac of South East Asia, and how to convert the oleoresins into a slow drying natural lacquer which can be used to protect delicate paintings and other forms of art. Obtaining the lacquer and crafting lacquerware is a process that requires knowledge, patience, excellent craftsmanship and skill. The final product must be pleasing to the eye and not lack in quality of design, usefulness or durability. A well-crafted lacquerware product should be able to last as long as the tradition that built it. top of page back to homepage _______________________________________________________________________________________ Custom made Projects For something personal, we can offer a tailor made option. If you wanted a design or specification of your own, we can offer a full bespoke service giving you creative control. This means that you could own your very own set of bamboo lacquerware house wares, designed especially for you knowing you were the only one in the world with them. What’s more, is that it won’t cost you an arm and a leg, because through careful planning we can keep costs down. Please contact us for further information top of page back to homepage _______________________________________________________________________________________ Corporate Projects
Restaurants, bars, hotels, whatever your needs we have the team and structure to help. Whether you wanted an elegant stylish menu holder, set of photo frames, mirrors, stools, photo albums for wedding services or custom made tableware’s for restaurants, we can offer our services. And because we’re direct importers we can offer at extremely competitive prices. top of page back to homepage _______________________________________________________________________________________ . |
