The tea set that was too good to make twice
A black and gold Japanese porcelain tea set, bought second-hand, pierced and hung on brass. Only when it was finished did I find out what I had been drilling into.
How it began
One time, I purchased a second-hand Japanese porcelain tea set. I played with it, pierced it and finally made a chandelier from it.
I fell for the colours first, that deep black with the gold on it. The teapot wanted to be in the middle, like a queen, and the cups wanted to be around her, each one on its own curved brass arm. Drilling porcelain is slow and you hold your breath the whole time. One wrong move and it’s finished. I was very, very careful, and lucky.
After I was done I discovered this was a very expensive set. No, the discovery did not change the value of my chandelier. However, it did make me decide not to look for another set to make a second lamp.
So there is one Empress, and there won’t be another. I like it this way. Some things should only happen once.
Up close
Hanging, 80 x 80 x 80 cm. Six G9 LEDs. One of one.
Over a table that people remember
The chef in me wants her over a chef’s table, where the food is the show and she watches from above. She would also be happy in a hotel lobby or over a bar, anywhere people sit long enough to look up.
