Together with Leap Art Việt Nam, Bát Tràng Museum Atelier has created Scarpette Da Punta – the Ballerina Table Lamp, drawing inspiration from the elegant pointe shoes and the painstaking dedication of ballet dancers.
In Ballet, ballerinas can usually be seen with their forefeet or midfeet in one of five positions, in all of which their toes always point outwards to the side. This elegance in their stances has been captured by the ceramists of Bát Tràng Museum Atelier in the body of the lamp, which was molded with the village’s signature clay, encarved with the traditional chrysanthemum motif and complimented with depth via the layering of glazes. As for the shade of the lamp, it was made by the craftsmen of Leap Art who hailed from the renowned Thường Tín village of embroidery, the birthplace of Vietnam’s hand embroidery arts. Adorned on the velvet shade is again the chrysanthemum pattern, echoed from the lamp’s body, thus seamlessly unifying the two parts.
Each lamp shade with this floral pattern takes a skilled craftsman 67 hours to complete, using a sophisticated combination of three techniques: traditional surface embroidery, bead embroidery and appliqué. All of these needleworks require to be conducted with meticulousness, so that every detail and pattern on the velvet surface is exquisitely made. Equally delicate is the lamp body made from Bát Tràng’s ceramic, coated in glazes of jade and intricately embellished with subsurface engraving and color layering. It would not be farfetch to say that these techniques are the measures of a craftsman’s skills, as in order to realize the conceptual design in their mind, the artisan is required to employ their experience and emotions with finesse while utilizing these skills. Furthermore, no two lamps are identical since their stacking glazes always shift unpredictably under the pressure of heat, resulting in a multitude of variants unparalleled in depth and gloss, making each of them truly one-of-a-kind. These two components of the lamp are attached to one another through a secret tube hidden inside the lamp body, balanced by the solid steel base. This base is carefully positioned to create an illusion of both instability and groundedness.
Throughout their career of preserving and advancing the ancient ceramic arts of Bát Tràng as well as honoring the many traditional crafts of Vietnam, Bát Tràng Museum Atelier never ceases learning and experimenting with the materials from fellow crafts villages. The “Scarpette Da Punta” is one notable example of such effort. In their dedication to creating this art piece, Bát Tràng Museum Atelier and Leap Art aim to protect and promote the values and beauty of the ancient traditions they represent.
Ceramic and velvet silk. Such is the talent and subtlety of the craftsmen who join these two unlikely materials together. Though the form it presents itself in is that of a classical European art, Scarpette Da Punta regardless honors the ancient traditional crafts of Vietnam through the juxtaposition of its contrasting yet complementary matters. By the very nature of Scarpette Da Punta, cultures intertwine and substances meet, defining the pinnacle of craftsmanship and the artisans’ mettles.
