Kokedama - String Gardening

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Kokedama (translation "moss ball") is a Japanese art technique. In the original Japanese art form, the root system of the plant is removed from its container. This root system is then encapsulated in a mud cake which consists of peat moss, akadama or bonsai soil in fixed proportions.This entire formulation is then bound within a large sheet of sphagnum moss with a string approx 3 yards long. 

These art creations with real bonsai plants are then displayed on a platform. 

Chinese Jade kokedama (1 year old)

But this was not enough, so Fedor Van der Valk of Netherlands, went a step further and suspended this moss ball from a pulley. Acknowledged as the king of contemporary kokedama, his tiny manipulation to this art form has opened new horizons of decor using living plants.

Spider kokedama

We at CoppeR BrainS have perpetuated this art form to all plants found in our environment, and not just to bonsai. Mumbai being the busiest cosmopolitan of our country, there is an essential lack of space and time in human lives. String gardens are a very contemporary way to incorporate plant life into your home. They make for a masterpiece array in your modern homes. 

Yellow Lantana kokedama

Santa brought us many gifts to fill up all the space under our cute hanging X'mas kokedama ;)

  

Juniper kokedama

Kokedama  isn't exactly carefree. Depending on the weather and the type of plant used, plants will need watering twice a week or more. Wilting of leaves is definitely not the best sign to watch for to judge if the plant needs watering. We suggest you to feel the moss ball with your bare hands. Check the weight and moisture on the moss. If the kokedama feels light or the moss is comparatively dry its a tell-tale sign that the plant needs a good watering. Submerge the plant in a small bucket of water for 5-10 mins and hang it somewhere for the water to drain off. Once it stops dripping you can bring it back to its display position.

An esoteric kokedama display

You can drop by at our studio in Borivali to have a look at these unique creations and get one made for yourself as well.

We make these Kokedamas here in Mumbai itself with a lot of love and passion. All you green lovers would find it quite fascinationg for sure. You can always also drop by at any of our exhibitions near you, to see them on display adorning our kiosks.

  Have a happy time enjoying a kokedama drama of your own!!! :)

FORGING FIRES AND THE FANCY OF MANKIND

              The fist is a power, different for a fighter from an artist. It is overwhelming what a mind can conjure but it is even more exemplary a sight to see how the body executes. Out of the numerous times we go out on trips, we come across many areas of interest. Some we are appalled by, some we love curiously and some are worth telling about.

            On a such very recent trip, we thought of telling a story. The story of the finest craftsmanship. The story of possibilities. The story of a blacksmith.

           Very basic a setup. A shed made of  metal roofing material, probably out of scraps. A frame out of raw boughs and twines to hold them in place. This space occupied by a gleaming furnace fueled by a blower, designed traditionally and fashioned by painted leather. The whole mechanism utterly earthen and hand made but efficient. Efficient enough to create pieces functional and artistic, at least to our eyes. Here is a peek into a welcome blacksmith's workshop, most standard.

          Have a close look at how functional this place is. The furnace filled with charcoal, the blower blowing heat to it. A contraption maneuverable from afar for the blower. A hand's distance from the blacksmith's iron anvil mounted on wood. All the tongs to his left and the hammer to his right. Left to the anvil is a shallow stone hewn water holder to cool off the hot metal.

          The blower has a tiny hole in the floor which draws air once pumped with the help of a bamboo which gushes it into the furnace we were told and that is how the fire sustains.

          The soaring flames that will forge the metal to it's desired shape. Pay attention to the tongs here.

                 Once the metal is red hot, a suitable tong is used to hold the hot metal in place over the anvil and then it's time for the hammers to tango. It's fairly artistic how rhythmic the two hammers go blow after blow in perfect synchronization. It's as good as a symphony. Considered menial, yes, but what we saw was a splendid work of art. The way the iron is shaped into desired geometry is like a poetry with curves and edges.

         In a matter of moments the metal shapes up. A veteran blacksmith takes less time to shape up the metal. It's very ordinary for most to pass by these places without acknowledging the fact that it is a unique skill and at one point in history, was the only route to winning wars. Technology and machinery may have replaced a fair bit but nothing can replace the art form, achievable through this age old profession.

    The old hands made a chisel in a matter of minutes with no machinery, no electricity, no computers and no FACEBOOK or GOOGLE. Only a basic setup and pure artistic skill. The meaning of blacksmith itself says a 'skilled worker'. We saw possibilities in this shed in our own way. 'N' number of them. The things that could be shaped out with these tools and tradition. Here is a small sneak into what the happy blacksmith makes.

      We may have come a long way from manually made household, but art my dear people will never fall prey to technology, It will only serve one master i.e. SKILL. We hope you guys gauge what we envisaged.