The flowers are co-created in close collaboration with independent artisan ateliers in Marrakesh. All the different traditional techniques are integrated through-out the collection. The final touch, tuning and quality control is done in-house at the Sakura Living atelier.
Materials used (sourced locally):
Glass: only the uncommon first quality glass is used. It is available in bleu, red, green and amber. Besides the clear glass, stained or structured glass is used. This stained glass perfectly lends itself to represent our human conditioning.
Brass (alloy of Copper and Zinc): all of the metal used for the petals, the glass enclosures and the hummingbird is solid brass. After polishing, all of the brass is aged to give it the authentic look and feel. For the Flowers of Clarity and Courage, maillechort is used (alloy of copper, zinc and nickel) to provide for a silver look.
Traditional artisanal techniques:
Different brass techniques and finishes integrate all of the tradition into the collection. All the glass is cut by hand and rounded with a set of small pliers. The techniques showcased are hammered brass, marquetry and cuttings with a chisel and a hand saw. The brass elements are merged by flame or soldered together with a simple tool heated above a gas fire.
Every crown of petals is mounted on a solid brass ring, providing good alignment and stability for the hummingbird. True lightness can only manifest on a strong foundation. The alignment of the hummingbird can be slightly altered to personal likings.
As each element of these flowers is fully handmade, slight variations might appeal in height and weight. We use different colors of insets for the hummingbird’s eyes.
Many hands participated in the co-creation of each flower. All of this diversity combined results in unique expressions of light. A true celebration of our human nature.
