Novica Handmade Sunflower Dream Ceramic Appetizer Bowls

Inspired by the beauty of the sunflower, Thai artisans craft an amazing set of appetizer bowls. Each bowl is made of ceramic, featuring indentations that resemble the seeds of a sunflower. A crackled blue glaze finishes this set of four, presented by Penpan. Product Features: Dimensions: 1.8" H x 3.9"" W x 3.9"" D Capacity: 3 oz Weight: 1.6 lbs Color: Blue Dishwasher safe Food safe Microwave safe Features a crackled finish Hand-crafted item -- color, size and/or motif may vary slightly Material: Ceramic Made in Thailand Story Behind the Art: My name is Penpan Wangviwat. I am the owner of Siam Celadon Pottery Co. Ltd., which was founded in 1976 as a part of other family businesses. My passion for nature and the traditional lifestyle that has surrounded me has helped me to discover the art of pottery with the charm of ancient ceramics, such as the unearthed celadon wares from the Sukothai period.Celadon is a name for an ancient Chinese innovation in ceramics discovered over 2000 years ago. I've been fascinated by the beauty of celadon ever since I was a student. At that time, I saw many famous traditional handmade, such as Thai silk, cotton, pottery, and wood sculptures. In 1976, my friend and I started a small ceramic factory for crafting celadon ware. We didn't know much about the process at first, but by learning from some craftsmen from older generations, we studied and improved our techniques. We started with just one ceramic kiln and 10 employees. Our first line of products included plates, bowls, mugs, vases, and small home decor pieces that we sold to local people and tourists. We chose the Sankamphaeng district of Chiang Mai as the location for our factory because this area has always been widely known for traditional Thai crafts.Our main strength is that we try to preserve the authentic celadon glazing mixture formula, which comes from two kinds of wood ash mixed with topsoil obtained from freshly harvested rice fields. The greenish color of celadon gives the each piece a glossy surface that is as beautiful as jade The position of each piece in the kiln is also a major part of the glazing process. The age of the two kinds of wood that provide the ash also influences the color shading. Each part of the process influences the others, and is in turn a characteristic of the standard green celadon. Charming in its glossy, but uneven color, celadon features a unique crackled surface, making each new piece distinct from the rest.Due to Thailand's deforestation, the two kinds of wood that we used became rare. Also, the firing control technique has become too complicated to be competitive in the marketplace. Because of this, we use waste wood, such as reclaimed longan wood, among others. We have had to adjust the mixture formula and improve our design while suiting customers' tastes at the same time.The factory is my family's business, and my daughter is my successor. I help with general operation, marketing, and meeting factory standards. We have several departments, such as soil, glazing, molding, designing, etc. Each department has a supervisor. Teamwork is the most important element in a handmade business, and you need to be careful every step of the way. Today, we have more than 80 employees, including both craftsmen and store staff. Most of them come from the San Kamphaeng area. Please allow 10 business days for the product to leave our warehouse and to receive tracking information. You should expect to receive this item within 15 business days."