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Company Release, September 15
NEW DELHI
Ravissant the name synonymous with luxury, lifestyle products and the possibly the largest manufacturer of hand made sterling silverware in the world today announced the launch of their Sterling Silver Collection – “Dreams In Silver”. The collection is handcrafted using tools like hammers, mallets, calipers and stakes – tools of silversmiths for centuries.
“Dreams in Silver” collection is the result of the creative efforts of some of the world's best known designers like Michael Boy, Alistair McCullum and Simone Ten Hompel, who form a part of the Ravissant's core creative team.
Alistair who was born in Middlesborough, United Kingdom in 1953 and graduated in Silversmithing and jewellery at Loughborough College of Art has created the “Mokume Gane” collection for Ravissant. The collection includes candlestands, flower vases, water jugs & glasses and tea sets.
Alistair McCullum has long been acknowledged in his field of expertise and his works appreciated worldwide. His elegant tableware and jewellery are held in a number of public collections, including the V & A, the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths and the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. He has undertaken private and public commissions such as a ladle for the Sheffield Millennium Canteen and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes Trophy for De Beers.
Alistair McCullum is one of the very few people in the world who specialize in the traditional Japanese metal working technique called Mokume Gane. Mokume Gane is a decorative metal working technique and was invented in Japan by Denbei Shoami in the late 15th century. The name Mokume Gane is a description of the patterns traditionally produced in Japan and translated into English means eye of the wood or wood grain metal. The technique involves joining sheets of silver, copper and copper alloys together by diffusion bonding to produce a sandwich. This is then forged into a thinner sheet; the pattern is created by cutting through the top layers to reveal their different colours. Once the desired pattern has been achieved the metal is then forged into a smooth patterned sheet ready to be fashioned. The technique requires an extensive knowledge of metallurgy high levels of skill and an artistic ability.
Michael Boy was born in 1962 in Germany. He was trained as a professional goldsmith in Ulm and acquired technical skills in silversmithing, stone setting and gemology at the Zeichenakademie in Hanau. He then studied product design in Dusseldorf, emphasizing on Jewellery and Tableware, and completed a further MA course at the Royal College of Art in London. He got awarded with a scholarship of the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service).
Michael has worked for Ravissant as a designer for the past over 10 years and the most admired products of Ravissant collection have been designed by him. His work is influenced by Indian motives, local skills and the richness of Indian ornamentation, influenced by temple architecture, artistic expressions and ways of living. His work reflects a playful approach of mixing various techniques, materials, and styles culminating every year in innovative and fresh ideas for Ravissant collection.
The Dreams in Silver collection of Michael is all about mingling the glitter of semi-precious stones & enameling with the sparkle of silver. The products include Tea & Coffee Sets, Fruit Bowls, Flower Vases, Candlestands, and a large collection of jewellery boxes.
Simone Ten Hompel was born in Germany in 1960. Though she formally studied silversmithing and jewellery, diploma at the Fachlochschule in Dusseldorf, and Masters of Arts, Metalwork, at the Royal College of Art in London, she began working with metals much before, since the age f 11 years. She is Co-ordinator MA Silversmithing, Jewellery and Allied Crafts at the London Metropolitan University. She is a senior lecturer for the MA at the Royal College of Art, London, and she is visiting faculty for several renowned colleges in Europe.
The most important aspect for Simone is the experience of her work through sight and touch “I like to express metal in more than one way, and enhance through the visual and tactile experience, the fascination of its properties; in that respect I consider metal as my first language.”
Though Simone works with myriad of materials, she finds a special relation with Silver. She enjoys silver not with polished finishes, but actually matt, in its more truer self. She finds herself comparing “Silver is like a moon, you possibly see it somewhere in St. Marie de la mar, in the Mediterranean, its reflected in the water and the light ripples, so, unfortunately, silver is not that pure that it will stay like this so, a bit like an alchemist you always have that struggle to get to this ready full – moon colour”.
Simone’s works of innovative vessels, sculpture and tableware for Ravissant includes dishes with semi-precious stones, champagne bucket, ice bucket, candlestands, fruit dishes. In the words of Simone “working with Ravissant has been the most wonderful experience, as I was able to concentrate on designing and implementation of the design was perfectly carried out by Ravissant master Silversmiths”.
For further information please contact:
Shalini Gupta / Richa Adhikari
Enterprise Public Relations
Ph: 011 – 2651 5681
Board: 011 – 6526826 – 29