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Ne'Qwa Art - Year Round Home Decor |
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Ne'Qwa Art has brought together the artwork of 16 well-known North American and English artists with the Centuries-Old Tradition of painting on the inside of glass.
Every ornament is individually hand-painted on the inside through the small opening in the top!
Ne’Qwa, in the Mandarin language, is the term for this centuries-old artistic tradition of reverse painting on the inside of glass. This technique creates a brilliance and luster that is not attainable with standard painting methods. |
Through a small opening in each ornament, the artist uses delicate brush strokes to hand-paint on the inside of mouth-blown glass. From outlining to shading to color application, all work is painstakingly done in freehand. This reverse-painting art form flourished during the 17th century however today there are only a few artist groups, living in remote villages throughout China, who possess the skill to create these exquisitely beautiful ornaments. Ne’Qwa Art has assembled a group of these artists, at our studio in China, to create these masterful renderings of contemporary life.
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Presentation Case... Like an ultra-high-quality jewelry box, each Ne'Qwa presention case offers an elegant, handmade sanctuary for these artistic treasures. Carefully crafted from sturdy wood and covered in luxurious velour, the padded top opens to reveal a silk-lined padded interior that both protects and displays its luminous treasure. Wheter open or closed, the box bespeaks elegance for gift-giving and display. |
Hang Tag... Each decorative accessory from Ne'Qwa comes with a removable hang-tag that fully explains the specific techniques used to create the piece, with a biography and picture of its licensed artist.
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Eggs aand the Jon Q. Wright lime are shipped in this luxurious green velour box. |
Questions and Answers about the art:
Q. How long has Ne’Qwa art been around?
A. Although some scholars have dated the Chinese art form of painting on the inside of glass to over 1000 years ago, it was not until the mid-17th century that it became a prized and collected art form within the imperial court.
Q. What makes this art form unique?
A. In addition to being an accomplished artist, the painter must master several techniques.
(1) The artist is required to paint through a small opening in the ornament on the inside of the glass.
(2) To paint in this art form, the artist has to paint in reverse order with the foreground completed first and then finishing with the background.
(3) Certain ornaments used are opaque mouth-blown glass. These ornaments don’t allow the artist to see the tip of the brush and all painting must be done by “feel”.
Q. How are they painted?
A. Through a small opening in each piece, the artist inserts his brush and paints on the inside of the glass. Using delicate brushstrokes, and a very steady hand, the artist creates intricately detailed scenes. From outlining to shading to color application, all work is painstakingly done in free hand. When completed, the artists proudly sign his/her name.
Q. How long does it take to complete a single piece?
A. Depending on the intricacy of the design it may take several hours to several days.
Q. What type of glass is used?
A. All Ne’Qwa Art ornaments are created using mouth-blown glass. Mouth-blown glass is lighter in weight, better quality and more transparent than oven molded glass. The exceptional glass quality provides a lustrous appearance bringing out the color and brilliance of each design.
Q. Why do the ornaments have a different look?
A. In some pieces the glass remains transparent. In other pieces, an iridescent coating is applied. In those ornaments that appear frosted or non-transparent, the technique of sand-blasting the inner surface is employed to create the abrasive inner surface to which certain paints can adhere
Q. What kinds of brushes are used?
A. The brushes are hand-made of a steel wire stem and horsehair tips. The brushes are slightly bent in order to access the complete surface area of a three-dimensional object. A variety of tips are hand-formed and used throughout the creation of one piece, ranging from a fine tip for outlining to cotton buds for shading.
Q. Are these ornaments just for the holidays?
A. No. Since these are truly works or art, many of our customers display them year-round using a display stand or in the gift box.
Q. Can you describe the gift box?
A. Each box is entirely made by hand. The fabric is a traditional weave of a high quality silk Damask material selected to complement the traditional style of the box and its handcrafted construction. Additionally, the box is lined with red satin and includes a booklet which describes the art form, a picture and biography of the North American artist/designer and a statement of authenticity.
Q. Is the Silk Damask gift box included with the ornament?
A. Yes. Each ornament comes with a gift box. The box is perfect for storing the ornament and also does a great job protecting the ornament during shipping.
Q. How are these ornaments displayed?
A. Our customers display their ornaments on ornament stands, Christmas trees, or in the the silk Damask gift box.
Q. Who designs the scenes?
A. All scenes are created by North American and English artists and are licensed by Ne’Qwa Art. The artists are Stewart Sherwood (Canada), Diana Card, Hal Sutherland, Tom Wood, Richard DeWolf, Joseph Holodook, Long Zhang Yvonne Sexton, Beverlie Manson (England), Clare Mackie (England), Diana Knott and The Currier & Ives Foundation.
Q. What kind of paints are used?
A. The paints used vary from piece to piece. They include the use of watercolor, acrylic, enamel and oil.
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