With a nearly spherical bowl and a small, round neck, this decorative vase is a beautiful ivory color with a network of grey lines representing interconnected roots, the wellspring of culture and community. Designed by Alessandra Foletti of Honduras, the vase is handcrafted by local women artisans using the traditional techniques of the Lenca, indigenous people of southwestern Honduras and eastern El Salvador. Prior to firing, the clay is burnished (polished with river rock) multiple times, creating a smooth, shining surface. Areas of the pottery which are to remain the original color of the clay are then covered in a resist, leaving exposed areas to be darkened when the piece is fired.
Made in Honduras
Ceramic
Not watertight
For decorative use only
Hand-crafted item -- color, size and/or motif may vary slightly
"This is an act of love toward women artisans, but it hasn't been all that easy."
"Art runs in my family: my grandmother used to paint, two of my uncles were jewelry makers, a cousin sculpts, and my... mother painted beautiful compositions on silk. I was born in Trento (Italy) and my career in painting and ceramics began in Switzerland and Italy. I studied engineering in Switzerland, then anthropology in Mexico. In 1983 my husband and I moved to Honduras to work with the Lenca people and here I began an ethnographic research on their artisanal traditions, especially pottery. Thanks to the research I met many women ceramists, and I was able to publish a book together with Honduras' Anthropology and History Institute.
"Thanks to my previous ceramic training I was able to present to the country’s government a project to support their women ceramists. That's how the first organized production teams were born, and we were able to build the first workshops.
"In 1998 I directed a program sponsored by ACTA, a Swiss NGO, to support the women ceramists who were greatly affected by hurricane Mitch. My experience with this project inspired me to start ACTA de Honduras as a private venture of a social character to which I'm personally committed to the development, promotion and marketing of Lenca pottery, as well as other traditional arts and crafts. Our venture keeps on growing, constantly innovating designs and products, and always committed to the highest quality.
"As an artist and a designer, my role is to design the sculptures, jewelry, paintings, ceramic bowls, metals, woods and fibers. I’ve participated in several exhibitions in Honduras as well as abroad including Miami, Rome, Tokyo, Santiago de Chile, Zurich, Washington and Madrid. This is such a contrast to the way that I began in the art world, selling my paintings to pay for my studies!
"In 1979 my husband and I volunteered to work with Amazon communities in Ecuador and during this time I met several women ceramists whose work fascinated me. This is when my work with ceramics began – you could call it the start of my never ending romance with ceramics!
"The underlying theme of my work is the fusion between anthropology and design by rescuing traditions and renewing them under a contemporary vision so they may offer work opportunities that generate more income for these communities, and so improve the lives of women and their families, strengthen their ethnic identity, and empower them.
"I continued on this path when I moved to Honduras. I've always been passionate about creating jobs and offering income opportunities to communities based on their rich cultural legacy and their skills in order to create beautiful functional items and strengthen their identities, especially of women.
"The challenge is to achieve new productive activities thanks to an endless creativity… and limited resources.
"One of the most difficult things I've done was making the decision to take a risk and start ACTA de Honduras. This is an act of love toward women artisans, but it hasn't been all that easy. We've gone through some tough times with no earnings and very few sales. I had resigned my job as a consultant, which was financially more stable, to dedicate my life to the design and production of different types of handcrafts, respecting traditional crafting processes and empowering the different artisan teams rather than creating my own business.
"By 2007, when the market for exporting ceramics came crashing down, we were already crafting jewelry, so this allowed us to keep generating work opportunities. We must rely on creativity every single day so we may carry on. We need to constantly renew ourselves since others have taken to copying our work, and we also need to stay up to date with the latest trends.
"My greatest dream is to create other successful collections, like Lenca pottery and jewelry, to continue creating job opportunities for women, which in turn improves their well being. I want to continue developing as a designer and an artist, creating objects with a cultural and social value – a message of hope to the world.
"Pottery is a very complete art form. In the Bible, God compares himself to a ceramist who molds us. Jewelry allows us to combine ceramic with other materials since it is a very creative process and I love it. It's exciting to create something new and contemporary that has roots, celebrates and honors traditions, making them contemporary and aesthetically valuable.
"Culture, history, traditions, nature, today's trends, the great artists of the past and the present, other traditional crafts – all of these are a source of inspiration.
"When I look for women to join our teams, I consider their experience. Through our work together they have learned to appreciate the importance of the details, the dimensions, color schemes, and most importantly, quality. It's not as easy as it would seem since we work with our hands, in wood kilns, on the lathe or with the molds we make."
Only valid on the Normal shipping option for shipments to 48 Lower US states.
Discounted shipping price may not be applied to previous orders.
This item ships with a free artist storycard, so you can remember who you impacted today. Customized gift messages are also available with every order.
We want you to be 100% satified with your order, so if you are not completely happy with your item, you can return it within 60 days of receiving it.
We pack, ship, certify and 100% guarantee the quality of this item. Watch this video to see how.
This item is available for backorder and will ship within 2 to 8 weeks. Artists love to get backorders. Placing a backorder ensures that the artisan will do their best to create and deliver your item to our local office for shipment.
Although we cannot guarantee availability, we do expect to be able to fill the order within the timeframe indicated. But sometimes life happens - special materials may not be immediately available to the artist, or there might be some other circumstance beyond our control that could delay the shipment.
If for any reason we are unable to ship the item within the timeframe indicated, we will notify you.
In the unlikely even that we are unable to ship the item within the timeframe indicated, we will contact you and provide an updated delivery window.
This item has a special shipping flat fee which means that due to bulk, duties, or other special requirements, the item will be shipped to you via one of our special one-rate services. Shipping is only available to the United States (lower 48 States only).
WOMEN
S
M
L
XL
XXL
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
BUST
35 - 36
37 - 38
39 - 41
42 - 44
46 - 48
WAIST
27 - 28
29 - 30
31 - 33
34 - 36
38 - 40
HIPS
37 - 38
39 - 40
42 - 43
45 - 46
49 - 50
MEN
S
M
L
XL
XXL
CHEST
36 - 38
39 - 41
42 - 44
46 - 48
50 - 52
WAIST
30 - 32
32 - 34
35 - 37
38 - 41
43 - 45
NECK
14 - 14.5
15 - 15.5
16 - 16.5
17 - 17.5
18 - 18.5
SLEEVE
32.5
33.5
34.5
35.5
36.5
FINDING YOUR SIZE
Take your measurements with the tape measure over your under garments. If your measurements fall between sizes you may prefer the next larger size. Inseam, skirt and dress lengths vary by style and will be listed in the item description. Our sweaters are knit in standard American sizes, however actual measurements vary by style.
BUST / CHEST
Measure around the fullest part of chest under the arms and over the shoulder blades keeping the tape measure level.
WAIST
Measure around the smallest part of the waist keeping the tape measure comfortably loose. Most garments use the low waist measurement noted below.
LOW WAIST
Measure around the body approximately 1.5" below the natural waist (above). This is the area where most pants and skirts actually fit.
HIPS
Standing with your heels together, measure around the fullest part of the body approx 7"-8" below the waist.
NECK
Measure around the base of the neck keeping the tape measure comfortably loose.
SLEEVE
Bend elbow slightly and starting at the center back of the neck, measure across the shoulder, to the elbow and down to the wrist.
INSEAM
Our standard inseam length for women is 32" and 34" for men; however inseam measurements will vary slightly by style.
Belts with buckles are measured in inches that correspond to a waist size however, most people do not wear belts on the waist, they wear them closer to the hips. A buckle belt measurement is take from the end of the "pin" of the buckle to the middle hole on the belt. Generally there are 5 holes for size adjustment, with a 1" space between each, so the middle hole will the be average size of the belt.
For at tie belt (no buckle) measure the belt portion end to end and half of the tie portion. This again is the medium size of the belt.
For a soft fabric tie belt it can be called "1 size fits most" and the entire length of the belt should be measured and listed.
See buckle/tie belt size standards below.
WOMEN
S
M
L
XL
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
inches
26 - 30
28 - 32
31 - 35
34 - 38
38 - 42
cm
76 - 86
81.5 - 91.5
86.5 - 96.5
91.5 - 101.5
96.5 - 106.5
+/- tolerance: 0.5 inches or 1.25 cm
MEN
S
M
L
XL
XXL
inches
30 - 34
32 - 36
35 - 39
39 - 43
43 - 47
cm
81.5 - 91.5
86.5 - 96.5
91.5 - 101.5
96.5 - 106.5
109 - 119
+/- tolerance: 0.5 inches or 1.25 cm
Sash tie length
Lay sash/tie out flat away from the garment and measure from end to end.
Belt with buckle
Measure from the end of the pin of the buckle (where it touches the buckle) to the middle hole.
Belt without buckle
Measure from the belt portion end to end and half of the tie portion. This is will give you the medium size of the belt.
Download our printable ring sizing chart to find the perfect fit!
We refer to these items as "discounted wholesale". Such items carry a deeper wholesale discount than other items, and have greater potential to provide your business with healthier resale margins.
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Handmade goods from developing nations usually pass through a series of intermediaries before being purchased by retail consumers. Each of these intermediaries adds cost to the product, and that cost is passed on to the customer. UNICEF USA partnered with NOVICA, who works directly with artists through their regional offices in Asia, Africa and Latin America, allowing purchases from UNICEF Market to go directly from the artisans to fulfilling customer orders. By skipping steps in the traditional supply chain, you can buy high quality items for less than the regular retail prices.
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