The two new collections, Chess and Phoenician, are brought to life by skilled artisans, in homage to Lebanese traditions
Chess Collection. Photography by Lara Zankoul
Emerging global design house BEIT Collective, founded by Emilie Skaff in 2021, seeks to perpetuate Lebanese craftsmanship through the promotion of the creativity and talent of Lebanese designers and artisans.
The brand’s latest collections, Chess and Phoenician, realised with London-based artist and designer Adam Nathaniel Furman, follows on from Furman’s vase and furniture for BEIT as part of Decorex 2021’s Future Heritage which showcased 10 emerging artisans, their unique talents and craftsmanship.
Reimagining hand-blown glass, the new collections explore the role of craft and stay true to Furman’s bold and colourful designs. Having just debuted at this year’s Maison&Objet, both Chess and Phoenician are produced by skilled artisans, and apply techniques including enamelling, glassblowing, and metallurgy.
Chess carafe by Adam Nathaniel Furman for BEIT Collective. Photography by Lara Zankoul
For Chess, comprising a colourful set of tumblers and a carafe taking inspiration from chess pieces and Lebanese culture, Furman plays on the idea of a table set as a talking point, with characters moving around the table like a miniature city. The collection comes in pink and white, as well as green, lilac or clear, while custom-made colours are also available on request.
‘I have always considered tableware as a pleasure, a kind of game to which we like to lend ourselves,’ says Furman. ‘The Chess collection comes from this though. The principle was to create a set of glasses that transforms your table into a small playful, character-driven world.’
‘I wanted to echo Lebanese nostalgia in a revisited way,’ adds Skaff. ‘The sweets in the photos are emblematic – we all tasted them during our childhood, so it is also a nod to our core business of highlighting ancient craftsmanship to create contemporary pieces.’
Blue Quay tumbler by Adam Nathaniel Furman for BEIT Collective. Photography by Lara Zankoul
Composed entirely of recycled glass, Furman reimagines the Phoenician technique of blown glass to design “Blue Quay” tumbler and “Fluted Buoy” vase. The pieces are inspired by marine relics and come in three beautiful colours including turquoise/aqua marine, navy and clear.
The artisans working on the recycled collection have, for generations, been the most prolific family of glassblowers in Lebanon. ‘Phoenician is a collection that highlights the “perfect imperfection” of recycled glass,’ shares Furman.
‘I created this line to echo the aquatic and ancient environment of Phoenician cities, and wanted the pieces to represent a treasure washed up on the beach, coming from ancient civilisations lost for millennia.’
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