Elevating the Everyday Elegance
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FIGS & FETA isn’t just a magazine. We also have an online store when you can shop for gorgeous home accessories that are especially designed to make your life more beautiful. One of our favourite sets is the Melmaison cup-and-saucer set. (Subscribe to FIGS & FETA to get an all-access pass to ALL our issues, then read about the interesting manufacturing process of our Melmaison cup-and-saucer sets in our FIRST issue!)
Here’s FIGS & FETA’s Kim La Ferla, telling you in her own words about the world of our beloved artisans:
The artisans who created our cups and saucers live in a community of fewer than three million people in Chaozhou, China. All the artisans are blessed with very delicate hands and an acute eye for detail.
Chaozhou is not likely to be on your tourist radar when visiting China. Unlike the bustling city of Guangzhou, despite being in the same province, Chaozhou is very remote and in many ways reminds me of Bali, Indonesia!
Unmade roads, aged architecture and electrical posts with loose, dancing wires form part of the charming Chaozhou landscape that I fell in love with. The people in Chaozhou are extremely hospitable and thankfully so, because in such a remote space, taxis are nowhere to be found. Thankfully, our suppliers’ sales representative picked us up from our hotel and almost instantly began the tour of where our delightful Melmaison Cups and Saucers are created.
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After a very welcoming meet and greet, we became immersed in the moulding station, our first official stop on the tour. As I approached the organised and meticulously clean space, I stopped for a moment to appreciate the innate talents we all have the capacity to wield. The area wasn’t packed full of huge machines making these products; there were real human artisans creating greatness with their hands using some specific modernised tools. I took a couple of deep breaths and proceeded.
The moulding station took me by surprise. Here, a machine referred to as the spinning wheel was parked. A blob of clay is deliberately deposited onto the middle of the spinning wheel, then a mould is placed on top and a machine presses it into place over the clay. Each mould is then individually set on a tray and left to dry.
Almost immediately I saw resemblances to a bakery! It was a very moving sight to see those cups and saucers in raw clay sitting on the shelf drying, as if they were eager to complete their metamorphosis for the next process.
When the moulds had dried, it was time for all the raw edges to be filed piece by piece. Monotonous you might think, but not so to the two ladies sitting opposite each other, chatting away and conversing about something that had them in fits of laughter. So beautiful to witness. They were definitely enjoying what they were doing, and I couldn’t help but imagine their happiness being transferred into the cups and saucers we would soon be drinking tea from.
Each and every teapot is made by hand!
One of the more engaging aspects of the teapot-making process is how the artists mould the teacup handle, which at this point is not attached to the cup. With a little pick in her hand, an artisan ensures that the mould is smooth and has the right feel to it. Left to dry on a shelf, it becomes ready to be attached to its chosen companion cup. The artists’ hands work delicately but quickly. I was amazed at the skill of these artisans.
The action was in the quality control station!
Sitting on low stools, two girls were having an almost serious conversation about each piece. It was hysterical to watch how they entertained themselves with both in-depth conversation and joking around at the same time.
I felt overjoyed to know that whilst we sit in our homes enjoying the luxurious products, these ladies are having a blast of a day. That it is the opportunity that we are creating and sharing.
As I walked to the next factory where the printing and firing take place, I passed the carpark, as one might call it. There were no less than 40 bicycles and motorbikes parked in diagonal rows. I had wondered at one point whether all these people walked to work! This charming display answered my tacit question.
The print application process totally mesmerised me in its simplicity. Unless a product is handprinted, every beautifully designed plate is basically decorated with a special kind of beautiful, food-safe sticker, which is then fired to final perfection.
Until I started FIGS & FETA and began making all sorts of enquiries into how such beautiful pieces came to be, I was oblivious to where one would start making such a product. Knowing the time and love that goes into each product makes my world so much more exciting.
And then there is Betty Yong, my rock in my China Office! Absolutely love her to bits and without realising she has taught me so much more that she says I have taught her.
Thank you for reading our blog post! Take advantage of exclusive content and community with FIGS & FETA Magazine. Subscribe today to hear more from Editor Kim La Ferla about creating JOY and ABUNDANCE in your life. Get every issue in our library, Subscriber Exclusives Content, Event Invites, Perks and more. Or JOIN our FIGS & FETA community and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest to stay up-to-date on what else we’re up to and have all the tools you need to live your healthiest life.
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