Heart of glass

Billionaire businessmen, heads of state, and A-list celebrities collect it. The likes of Bill Gates, George Bush Sr., Margaret Thatcher and Kuwaiti royalty proudly display it in their homes. J. Lo and Ricky Martin don’t mind if it “outs” their more spiritual side.

“It” is Tittot, the foremost name in Chinese glass art. Tittot is a phonetic translation of the Chinese term “ti to,” meaning “crystal-clear,” “lucid” and “transparent” in Mandarin. Similar to Western crystal, Tittot takes it a step further. It is art in glass, poetry in motion, where each piece merges the classic with the modern.

In the past, eastern glass art was synonymous with the handcrafted snuff bottles of the Ching Dynasty. Since the 19th century, however, this craft disappeared, falling into obscurity for more than 100 years before Heinrich Wang, Tittot’s creative director, revived it in 1987. Wang was the first to introduce concepts from the American Studio Glass Art Movement to the Chinese, putting a modern spin on this traditional art form.

A former movie director, actor and advertising designer, Wang unearthed a French crystal paperweight at home and had an “aha!” moment. Though he went to America to study glass art, the Taiwanese Wang decided to resurrect a 100-year-old lost-wax casting technique from China, for which you make negative molds in wax. The process is labor intensive, involving over 50 steps, beginning with the original mold, kneading, wax casting, firing, and so on.

The most challenging part is the potential for the glass to crack or shrink during the cooling process. If a flawed design breaks, it’s broken forever, and has to be infused with lead to be made into crystal. Created under an 800-degree-Celsius fire, the resulting artworks literally bring to light myriad layers and colors that are crystalline, producing an otherworldly effect. Each piece is flawless, and one of a kind in terms of color and expression, making them collector’s items.

Tittot’s three themes follow feng shui principles: prestige and prosperity (usually symbolized by the number eight, which in Wang’s vision becomes a flowered roost for birds; and the peony, known as the “wealthy flower”); love and prosperity (two goldfish swimming, their soft fluidity in the water preternaturally immortalized) and happiness and well being (a “future Buddha” rising from the rock, having achieved nirvana).

Wang has a stunning talent for capturing movement in an inanimate medium, sculpting animals and mythical creatures in motion — from entwining peacocks to a phoenix in flight, fish in mid-leap to ascending dragons. Ornate curves and exquisite details characterize Tittot’s style, an outcome you can’t achieve by using machinery. And in addition to the visual art you get written art: each work comes with an original poem penned by Wang himself, describing the story behind each piece’s creation.

A young Chinese businesswoman,  Genevieve Siao, brought Tittot to the Philippines. “I chose to launch Tittot at Rustan’s Tower because the market’s there,” says Siao, the general manager of Tittot Philippines. “Many Chinese communities live in the area.”

Prices range from P6,000 for pendant necklaces to P150,000 for table-size sculptures. Sold in 15 countries through 77 points of sale throughout Asia, Europe, the US and the Middle East,

Tittot also accepts commissions from clients, whether for artworks symbolizing a corporation’s spirit, or collectible objets for event launches and highly exclusive gifts.

Before the word “kitsch” can even enter your mind, consider this: since these pieces translate universally and transcend cultural differences, they are art. Tittot is the first set of Chinese crystal artworks to be exhibited as a permanent collection at Ambiente in Frankfurt, Germany. Wang’s sculptures have also been acquired by many world-renowned museums: “Pope John Paul II” was commissioned by the Vatican Museum in honor of the pope’s 81st birthday, “The Four Seasons” series was collected by the Victoria & Albert Museum of Arts and Crafts in Britain, “The Galloping Forward” series by the Corning Glass Museum in the US, “The Dragon Galloping Across the Sea” by the Beijing National Arts and Crafts Museum in China, plus other museums in the United Kingdom and Japan. Seven pieces are on permanent display at the National Palace Museum in Beijing.

The Taiwanese president has gifted visiting heads of state like former US Presidents George Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton with Tittot. Action star Jet Li scored a golden horse for himself (horses are supposed to represent extraordinary achievement and aspiring to a comfortable life and high rank), while Placido Domingo opted for a smiling, fat gold Buddha (signifying a peaceful state of mind, which generates hopes of happiness and good fortune). Both Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin also exposed their Buddhist tendencies: J. Lo bought “The Power of Commitment,” a modern blue Buddha with a halo from the “Peace and Happiness” series, while Martin snapped up “Void,” a clear gray Bodhisattva  from the same series.

“Tittot’s art is bright and clear — visual poetry,” Michael Rogers, ex-president of America’s Glass Art Society, has said.

He didn’t even mention how dazzling it makes your home look when lit up from beneath.

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Tittot’s showroom is located on the fourth floor of Rustan’s Tower, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Pasig City, telefax (+63-2) 524-8197, e-mail tittot@insigniahome.com or log on to www.insigniahome.com.