| | | | All Asian Opus' products are hand made by master craftsmen. All the products both cast and carved will reflect variation between the stoneyard where it was made and the individual carvers who worked the stone. It is one of the most important aspects of our products as it is your guarantee that your piece will be unique. No two pieces will be exactly alike. Asian Opus cannot guarantee that the product you receive will be exactly as the photo depicting it on our website or other promotional material.
Every care has been taken to ensure that all descriptions, measurements, colours and prices are correct. Measurements given are approximate. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of colour reproduction, due to limitations of the photographic process colour may vary in accordance the settings of your monitor, software, or printer.
Understanding our measurements
We measure only in metric. We use width measurement for the longest part of the item, followed by depth being the measurement from front to back with height measurement last. Please note that measurements are approximate and may vary slightly due to the hand made nature of the products we sell.
Pricing and availability
We list availability information for each product sold by us on the website. Where items are not in stock we provide an estimate of dispatch time. Please note that these estimates are not guaranteed and should not be relied on as such. As we process your order we will inform you by email if any product you order turns out to be unavailable, or the dispatch time is changed. Prices are subject to change without notice.
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| | | Types of Stone
There are nine different types of stone & stone mix used to produce stoneworks in Bali.
1. Limestone aka Yogya stone, Sandstone, Super stone
2. Black lava stone
3. Green lava stone
4. Red River stone
5. Green river stone
6. Green stone
7. Green granite
8. Lombok Sandstone
9. Casting in concrete and concrete-stone mix
The stone originates in Java, Bali and Lombok and is extracted from land or river beds. The stone used in the products we sell has been extracted according to best practice guidelines. The difficulty of extracting river stone makes it expensive compared to green stone but it has a smoother, finer texture as a result of water action while submerged. Mountain stones such as the lava and green stones are a result of volcanic activity in this famously volcanic region. Close inspection of a piece of green stone can reveal areas where different rocks where spewed out by the volcanco, cooled together and reformed as a composite piece.
They all differ with regard to the ease of carving, degree of water retained, weight, weather resistance and ultimately price. It is also worth noting that different pieces of the same stone can vary due to the time of year it was extracted, where it was extracted from and the degree of variation within the piece. Roughly speaking black lava stone is the hardest, most long-lasting and consequently the most expensive compared to cream Lombok sandstone which is the most porous and generally the cheapest depending on the design in question.
Casts are commonly used in producing quality stonewares in Bali. All Asian Opus products clearly state which pieces are hand carved and which are cast. We're proud of the quality of our cast products which are of a far superior quality to many of the other cast products on offer in Ireland. The Indonesian craftsmen are very skilled at making the original casts and usually use a mix of concrete and stone powder/chippings to produce a very strong cast with fine detailing. The concrete has the advantage that it can be coloured in white, cream, pink, sand, brown and grey.
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| | | Types of Motifs & Designs
Nearly everything in the Asian Opus range is available in a broad range of motifs & designs incorporating modern, traditional and natural characteristics.
Modern designs are as expected clean cut, sharp and often geometric. Good examples include WA04, WA06, PDBL13 and PDBL24.
Traditional designs are more typical of classical Bali style carvings, they tend to be intricate, ornate, and are sometimes very elaborate. Perhaps surprisingly they look great in a very modern setting as they add huge interest, texture and contrast to their crisp surroundings. Good examples includePDBL01 and LL01.
The natural world is a huge inspiration for carvers and is reflected in the use of many types of leaf, plant, flower and animal in their designs. Plants and flowers such as bamboo, banana, fern, frangipani, coconut, rose, lotus, hibiscus are the most commonly used (WA07). While animals such as frogs, turtles, birds and insects often feature in designs but tend not to dominate (WA10).
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| | | Weathering
Weathering will affect all pieces of carved stonework kept outdoors to some degree. The degree of weathering will depend on the type of stone with Black Lava stone being the hardest and therefore least susceptible to weathering. An average piece in green stone will take approximately 10 years before it shows signs of weathering and this will vary depending on the type of weather it is exposed to. Weathering in the green stone pieces may include some loss of definition and possibly a crumblier surface in places. For many people this kind of weathering is desirable as it shows the pieces age and gives it a feeling of antiquity.
Similarly many people prefer the weathered look of Limestone (aka Sandstone or Yoyga stone) pieces left outdoors. In the garden Limestone pieces will become more organic in appearance with a patina of moss, algae and staining all adding to a beautiful finish. It is so appreciated by some collectors that stone suppliers will deliberately leave pieces outside to get that weather-aged patina before selling them on!!
However if you prefer your Limestone pieces pristine then they can be washed (gently with a soft bristle brush or light power washing), sealed or kept indoors. Some stone suppliers argue that applying stone sealer simply makes the pieces more resistant to water but does little to reduce the degree to which it gets a weathered look - it may be a good idea to do a spot test on the back of your piece to satisfy yourself as to the suitability of applying sealer before you apply it all over the item.
Limestone can suffer from consistent exposure to below freezing temperatures. Asian Opus has been informed that similar pieces of Limestone sold to customers in continental Europe, where winter temperatures are regularly below -6C degrees have cracked and split. Moisture in the porous stone freezes and expands which may result in cracking. As most of our products are new to the Irish market, Asian Opus has been trialling both Limestone and painted terracotta pieces over our recent winter (2007-2008) to determine their ability to withstand a typical Irish winter outdoors. To date, none of the pieces in question showed any signs of cracking. However we cannot know what surprises the Irish weather might have in store for us over the coming months and years and as such we cannot guarantee our products against weather damage. We will continue to look into this matter and welcome feedback from any customer who might have experienced cracking of a product (purchased from us) due to freezing temperatures.
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| | | Paint & Sealers
Indonesian craftsmen are experts at delivering consistently high quality finishes on both cast and carved pieces. Paint and coloured cement renders are sometimes used to change the colour of a finished product. Carved stoneworks can also be painted to give more definition as illustrated in the photographs above. Expect to pay more for a painted carved stonework due to the extra processes and labour involved.
Patches
Limestone usually of larger pieces or those that have to be transported in multiple pieces, will require some patching after assembling. A special mix of fine powdered limestone and resins is mixed and used to fill the hole or crack, much as you would use polyfilla. All Limestone suppliers use this technique, it is established best practice within the industry. While AO tries to minimise the presence of patches in the Limestone pieces we offer, we cannot offer customers any undertaking that any Limestone piece they buy will not have an appropriate patch.
Asian Opus is not responsible for any liabilities arising out of how you site or secure your products - please take due care, attention and advice where necessary, to ensure the safe enjoyment of your product by all. |
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