Artisan, Handcrafted China

Asianera

With impractical designs and mass production rampant in China’s porcelain industry, it's refreshing to discover a delightfully artisan outfit like Shanghai-based Asianera. Since 1995, they’ve been keeping centuries-old traditions alive through their elegant and meticulously-crafted fine bone china collections, every piece of which is designed, moulded, fired and hand-painted in-house. Dreamy, delicate signature illustrations and patterns adorn teapots, cups, plates, bowls and vases, and espouse the lustrous influence of Asian culture and imagery. Chinese goldfish swim gracefully across the crockery, Japanese cherry blossoms sit starkly against a white backdrop, and lilies and magnolias softly open and circle water-coloured borders.

While classic and time-honoured the production methods may be, contemporary lines and functionality are also ingrained in the brand’s design philosophy, and incorporated via a stable of high profile, multi-disciplinary creative collaborators, including Hong Kong-based furniture designer Scot Laughton and London’s voonwoon&bensonsaw. There are also two gorgeous sub-brands available under the Asianera umbrella – the Lian range, featuring specially-commissioned designs from visiting artists-in-residence, and the AE2 line comprising smart value-for-dollar dinnerware. And if that is simply not enough, they even offer a custom service, meaning the only limit is your imagination.