yii design: lace bowls by ching ting hsu

‘lace bowls’
image © designboom

taiwanese designer ching ting hsu’s ‘lace bowls’ are objects in which oriental embroidery pattern meets western elegance. developed in collaboration with craft artist tsun-jen lee, these vessels express a wedding blessing which chinese mothers give to their daughters – which includes the exchange of fine fabrics, money, gold etc. the porcelain’s gradient transparency plays with light. when it penetrates through the membrane-like surface, which is thinner at the opening and thicker at the base, the lace details and patterning are revealed.

bowls nestled within one another

detail of the lace patterning

when light hits the surface, the lace pattern details come through

many of the designs consist of floral imagery

‘lace bowl’ with a spout-like opening

detail of one of the lace bowl’s lip

‘lace bowls’

one ‘lace bowl’ design with perforations

display of ‘lace bowls’ at the yii exhibition
image © designboom

‘lace bowls’ is a result of the project yii, a brand conceived by the taiwan craft research institute, that aims to transform traditional taiwanese crafts and bring them into the contemporary context through design. dutch designer gijs bakker was invited to be the creative director of ‘yii’. under his direction, these newest works focus on the revival of the increasingly extinct taiwanese craft in contemporary, exploring methods of bamboo work, ceramic, fine silver works, lacquerware, wood carving and other ancient craft processes.