Featured in the Fall 2014 Issue – Art Of The Times
Spin Ceramics, the widely coveted Chinese tabletop brand, is currently expanding. With the launch of a new store in New York City’s SoHo district, the brand brings its impeccably crafted wares to the United States.
By using production methods dating back to the Yuan Dynasty, Spin creates objects that are both artful and memorable. Consequently, they breathe new life into storied practices. From whimsical vases to decorative trays, they create elegant products for the modern home.
Heritage of Jingdezhen
Founders established Spin in China in 2002. Effectively, the brand merges the historic Jingdezhen region’s heritage with a modern aesthetic. Known as the Capital of Porcelain, Jingdezhen boasts a rich history stretching back to 1350 AD.
Moreover, experts prize the porcelain from this region for its immense reserve of kaolin clay. Together with porcelain stone, this material produces the most flawless and durable Spin Ceramics Chinese porcelain.
Managing Partner Clay Cunningham explains: “Spin’s products show the power of craftsmanship… Food tastes better off a handmade plate, plain and simple.”
The Design Process
Eight designers based in Shanghai conceive Spin’s array of collections. They utilize various methods, such as digital modeling and hand molding. Once designers perfect the concepts, they pass them on to master artisans in Jingdezhen.
Cunningham elaborates: “The most important characteristic of Spin is the human element… Our pieces have a sense of breath, of life.”
First, artisans form the pieces using material from Kaolin Mountain. Next, the kiln fires the clay at 1500 degrees Fahrenheit. Finally, a ‘high fire’ at 2450 degrees ensures durability.
Expansion to the US
This expansion marks Spin’s first store outside of Asia. Already, the brand has become a destination in Shanghai, Beijing, and Singapore.
Keeping with tradition, the Spin USA location includes bricks from the old city of Shanghai. Remarkably, these bricks are up to 300 years old and still bear distinct Chinese characters.
