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Rings & Things 2003 Trip
Introduction |
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An Impressive Journey
"Even though China is becoming more and more industrialized, there are still a lot of products made in cottage industries. Dee and I, along with buyers Karin Davis and Emba Lee, spent several days in villages not listed in any Lonely Planet guidebook. We saw a number of small workshops in rural areas. Many of the workshops were located in sheds in outbuildings in residential areas. In many ways it is similar to small craft industries in the U.S. located in semirural areas using barns and garages for craft production. The difference is that this particular area of China is known for many small workshops producing many different kinds of crafts and commodities.
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"One group turned rods of glass into faceted beads. Another workshop used small hand presses to mold beads one by one that are similar to Czech beads. We saw how one small farmer raises freshwater pearls in a series of small lakes and ponds between vegetable plots and small fields of rice. As a potter, Karin was particularly impressed by the porcelain shops producing thousands of small beads. Another shop produced large faceted crystal balls similar to Swarovski's 8550. All of us left each workshop or farm with a better appreciation for the beads we sell." - Russ |
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Photos by Karin Davis, Emba Lee, Dee Mueller and Russ Nobbs.
"All of us carried digital cameras. Sometimes I think we looked like stereotypical Japanese tourists snapping pictures at every turn. We took nearly 2000 pictures on our three-week 2003 buying trip." --Russ