The craft
Heritage crafts, made by hand
Every Morrow & Loom piece carries a craft recognised as intangible cultural heritage in China. These crafts take years to learn, cannot be hurried, and have passed from master to apprentice for generations. Here are the ones in our collection today; the list will grow as we find more artisans to work with.
01
Mother-of-pearl inlay
Light set into lacquer
Known in Chinese as luodian, mother-of-pearl inlay has been practised for close to three thousand years. The shimmering inner layer of the shell is ground thinner than paper, cut into tiny pieces and laid one by one into a lacquer ground. More lacquer goes over it, then the surface is polished back until the shell shows again, with a light that shifts from silver to green to rose as the piece moves.
02
Layered lacquer
Coat after coat
Natural lacquer is the sap of the lacquer tree. It is brushed on in thin coats, and each coat has to cure in a warm, humid room before it is sanded smooth and the next one goes on. Our beads are built up this way over weeks. Where colours are layered and then polished back, fine rings appear in the surface, so no two beads are the same.
03
Song brocade
Woven on the loom
Song brocade, or songjin, takes its name from the Song dynasty, when it was woven in Suzhou for fine dress and for mounting paintings and books. Patterns are woven into the silk on a traditional loom, and the colours can change along the length of the cloth, which keeps it soft, light and subtle. It is part of the Chinese sericulture and silk craftsmanship inscribed by UNESCO in 2009.
04
The setting
Set and checked by hand
Whatever the craft, each piece is set in gold vermeil or sterling silver, finished, and checked at the bench before it is wrapped. Because the work is done by hand, no two pieces come out exactly alike.