China Glasses
Medium: Canadian Jade
Dimensions: 53 mm x 134 mm x 69 mm.
Year: 2008
Not for sale
These glasses carved in Canadian jade have "Made in China"
in Chinese characters sandblasted
onto the surface. It is a commentary about carvings being carved in Canadian stone,
carved in China and imported into New Zealand and sold as New Zealand stone.
I believe that Canadian jade is not getting the respect it deserves both in Canada and New Zealand. This stone is consistent, strong, translucent, gorgeous to look at and great to carve. We need to question why so much Canadian stone is going to China, being carved into Maori designs, and then being sold in New Zealand as New Zealand stone carved by New Zealanders. Carvers and sellers of carvings need to be honest about their treatment of the stone and of the buyers.
Canadian jade is great. Let us be proud to carve it but do something more exciting and creative than carve it into hooks and pretend it is New Zealand pounamu!