Download Pitcher Dragonfly Teal/White Ceramic

Pitcher Dragonfly Teal/White Ceramic
The Product
Bat Trang Ceramics: The town of Bat Trang – located about 13km southeast
of the capital, Hanoi – is well known throughout Vietnam for its beautiful
ceramics, which harmonize the best of modelling, sculpture, design, and
colour. In the late 15th century, Thanh Hoa potters founded Bat Trang, settling
there because of the rich deposits of white clay. Throughout the 16th and 17th
centuries, the potters' work was highly prized internationally, known for its
beauty and superior quality. Although China became the better-known exporter
in the early 18th century, today, due to the longstanding legacy of quality
craftsmanship, Bat Trang is again experiencing a booming market. In this
relatively small town there are at least 2,000 families representing
approximately 10,000 artisans who are creating ceramic products in 1200
kilns. While blue and white dinnerware and tiny ornaments characterized by
intricately-detailed patterns remain the traditional style, these Bat Trang
potters have begun to create a wide variety of products featuring an array of
shapes, colours, and sizes – some vases even as large as 7 ft tall!
Travel the world with each visit
to Ten Thousand Villages.
Learn how Fair Trade really
makes a difference. Our goal is to
provide vital, fair income to
artisans by marketing their
handicrafts and telling their
stories in North America. Ten
Thousand Villages sells product
from more than 30 countries,
providing work for nearly 60,000
people around the world.
To produce these exquisite ceramics, artisans first mix the clay – transported
from 150km away due to depleted local resouces – using a machine and then
pour it by hand into molds. Once these molds are dried and the seams are
smoothed away, each individual piece is painstakingly hand-detailed by an
artisan. Small details are attached with clay slip, and designs are skillfully
painted on by free-hand – an impressive task, particularly when considering
the elaborate detail and intricate design of the blue and white ceramics! After
glazes (made using ground-up recycled bottles) have been applied, the pieces
are then set aside to dry once more before ceramic boxes are filled to capacity
and stacked high inside the kiln to begin the firing process. Many of the kilns
are fuelled with patties of coal powder and wood, requiring a three-day burn to properly fire the pottery. Newer and cleaner
gas-burning kilns reach much higher temperatures, reducing firing time to 15 hours and producing greater consistency in
quality.
Ceramics: All ceramic items are made with lead-free glazes and are dishwasher, microwave, and conventional oven safe.
Garden pots should not be left outdoors when temperatures are below freezing.
The Artisan Group: UNIMEX (Union of Hanoi Import/Export Corporation)
Founded in 1962, Unimex is a government-owned company located in the capital city of Hanoi, providing export services for
a variety of handicraft workshops in North Vietnam. Unimex was one of the first organizations to export to the west after the
United States normalized trade relations in 1994. They continue to assist craftspeople in finding local
and international markets for their handicrafts.
Since the government is heavily involved in all aspects of Vietnamese business, Ten Thousand
Villages deals with government contacts that oversee the work of local artisans. These
representatives seem genuinely interested in the welfare of the people and have responded well to
Fair Trade criteria. They charge very reasonable rates for export and translation services, allowing the
artisan groups to achieve good profit margins.
Unimex works with artisans in the traditional ceramic-making village of Bat Trang, east of Hanoi, where most of Ten
Thousand Villages' Vietnamese tableware is made, as well as many other artisans throughout northern Vietnam. Unimex
works with small buyers and workshops – approximately 170 artisans from four workshops – who would otherwise be
disconnected. Benefits to artisans include loans, skills training and product development.
The Country: Vietnam
Vietnam – the most populous country in mainland Southeast Asia – offers both sublime beauty and traditional charm.
Remarkable landscapes and a relaxed atmosphere indicate little of the country's long and troubled history of occupation and
war.
Over the past 30 years, Vietnam has faced the challenges of recovering from not only the lasting effects of conflict, but also
the rigidities of a centrally-planned economy. Since 1986, considerable progress has been made as the Communist Party of
Vietnam has begun introducing market elements as part of a broad economic reform package called doi moi (“renovation”).
These changes have dramatically transformed the country: over the last ten years, GDP has more than doubled and inflation
has come to low single-digit figures.
To keep up with the country’s rapid rate of population growth, Vietnam has also been working to promote job creation. Rural
unemployment, however, is estimated at 35% during non-harvest periods and urban unemployment has risen steadily as
people migrate to the cities in search of work. Alternative sources of income are critical in a society where roughly 65% of
the labour force works in agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
Vietnam continues to experience positive dynamic change as it strives to become an industrialized nation by 2020. Despite its
poverty, it is a land of youthful hope and bustling enterprise. The economy is growing and trade is increasing. Rich in history,
culture and natural beauty, Vietnam is also becoming a major tourist destination.