Spanish luxury fashion houseLoewe introduces their Loewe Weaves initiative, the latest in a series of projects that explores their commitment to indigenous crafts. Loewe’s promotion of the arts dates back to its beginnings in 1846, when the company was founded by a group of Spanish leather craftsmen in Madrid.
Photo Courtesy: Sotheby’s
In collaboration with Sotheby’s, the brand presents a series of traditional Galician chestnut roasters created by master potter Antonio Pereira.The handmade hole-punched clay pots feature experimental weaving techniques by artists Arko Asako from Japan, Min Chen from China and Laia Arquerosfrom Spain.In line with Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson’s sustainable craft ethos, these roasters are decorated using surplus materials from past Loewe collections.
Laia Arqueros, Photo Courtesy: Sotheby’s
Wondering what exactly a chestnut roaster is? Well,in Galicia, a region in northwest Spain, an annual festival called Castañada, is celebrated, which is also known as chestnut party. It’s a festival with Celtic roots that marks the end of summer and the beginning of winter, and chestnut, which is an extremely important crop of the area, is roasted in these special pots.
Photo Courtesy: Sotheby’s
Seven of these roasters are up for sale with Sotheby’s, three by Arko Asako, and two each by Chen and Arqueros. Take a look at the distinctive style, each artist brings to the embellished pots.
Photo Courtesy: Sotheby’s
Designed by Laia Arquerosas two roasters talking to each other, her work feeds from classical iconography to create artwith Byzantine, Greco-Roman and Japanese touches.
Price: $24,350 (sold as a set of two)
Min Chen, Photo Courtesy: Sotheby’s
In his work, Min Chen strives to articulate the Chinese language of design. Inspired by the slow pace and tranquil atmosphere of his home city of Hangzhou, he creates a ceramic and bamboo chestnut roaster that blurs the line between old and new.
Price: $15,150
Arko Asako, Photo Courtesy: Sotheby’s
ARKO, an artist based in Tokyo, is a self-described straw artist who uses natural materials and age-old techniques to reinsert fading customs back into modern life. Her artwork is reminiscent of a more traditional era, where rice straw was woven into everyday Japanese life, in footwear, clothes and blankets.
Price: $29,900
Photo Courtesy: Loewe
The selected ceramic chestnut roasters will be displayed alongside the works included in Sotheby’s Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary Art sales exhibition in New York from 1– 12 May. They will also be available for purchase on Sotheby’s Buy Now online marketplace.
