We had the Yorkminster Rose for quite a few years in our studio garden. We first saw the rose plant at the W6 Garden Centre at Ravenscourt Avenue, West London. We had always wanted white roses in our garden. So we purchased one and took it home on the tube.
Roses change looks and character according to season, weather and time of the day. The rose we painted for our Yorkminster Rose water bottle is the rose we saw in the morning light of spring. The light is soft with a blue cast and the shadow not too dark.
The deep red that sets the tone for this line is unmistakably Oriental. It is intentional. The water bottle is a homage to our grandmother’s big red thermos flask. She was a rice farmer, like her husband and her forefathers. She grew rice on an eight-hectare paddy plot, helped by her children and sisters. Occasionally, she brought back fish caught from the rice plot that she asked us to prepare and cook.
Our most vivid memory of her was of her kitchen of wooden walls and flooring – and her red thermos flask. There were also other kitchen items that reminded us of her: a stainless steel tray decorated with the painting of peonies; a tiny kerosene lamp ornamented with a picture of a pretty lady; and tea cups with roses on their sides. Back then, life was hard and household things were cheaper – but they were made to last and so beautiful to look at. They were functional but also designed to delight.
Our water bottle is a nod to this era where thermos flasks were adorned with the most beautiful of flowers. It is not to be discarded after one use. We make our water bottle ornate and delightful so you can enjoy it for a very long time.
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