Timeless Vietnamese Lacquerware
After living and traveling in Asia for six years, I discovered the beautiful lacquerware products of the Vietnamese. Here was an amazing, ancient handicraft that the local people were still producing in the same painstaking fashion as their ancestors. The opportunity to bring something handmade and beautiful from Asia to America and other western markets was too irresistible for me to pass up. I decided to marry the ancient art of lacquerware to my own intricate, updated designs and J. Fleet Designs was born. In July 1995, we received our first order for lacquer serving trays and so began our growth.

Ancient Handicraft Techniques
What sets J. Fleet Designs apart from other laquerware producers is our ability to create luxurious colors and beautiful designs by layering foils and hand-mixed lacquer colors. All the merchandise in the collection is handmade in Vietnam following their ancient handicraft techniques. We use the traditional arts of mother of pearl inlay, burning and inlaying cracked eggshell, and layering silver foils with special hand-mixed paints. The lacquerware handicraft is the collective result of 30 operations, 20 stages and 100 days of patience and hard work. Nothing is mass produced or machine made, and all the materials used are natural. The rich variations in color and texture that occur in creating our lacquerware make each piece uniquely beautiful and a treasure to own.

Unique, Contemporary and Exquisite Designs
While traditional techniques are used to create the pieces, we work with contemporary designers who create updated, extraordinary shapes and intricate patterns that are exclusive to J. Fleet Designs. (For special accounts, we also offer the ability to create custom one-of-a-kind designs.) In order to carry out these designs and maintain the high quality that we have offered over the years we've sought out only the best Vietnamese lacquerware artisan workshops. The limited group of artisans we work with ensures that our collections always meet the luxury standards of our customers.

Decorative yet Functional, Stylish and Unique
The J. Fleet Design lacquerware is striking enough to be collected and displayed as pieces of art, but it has more practical uses, too. Because all of our products have 15 to 20 coats of lacquer, the pieces are very long-lasting as well as heat resistant and waterproof. This makes each piece table-friendly for hot, cold, wet or dry food. Items from the grill, sushi, salad, paella, fruit or chips can all be beautifully presented in our collection of Serving Trays, Platters or Bowls. The care is simple: Warm soapy water and a sponge are best for cleaning after food use. Furniture polish or car wax can be used to buff out fine scratches that occur from regular use. Please use horn or wood utensils for serving the food as metal will chip or scratch the surface. We do not recommend putting these items in the microwave or dishwasher.

Whether you're looking for a contemporary or more traditional look, there is something for everyone in the J. Fleet Designs collections.

Enjoy!
Emily Rubin Persons
Owner, J. Fleet Designs