'Hide and seek,' candleholders (pair)

Product Review

NOVICA, in association with National Geographic, offers thousands of limited edition and one-of-a-kind gifts, jewelry, and home decor treasures handmade by master artists and artisans throughout the world. Geckos play hide and seek across the base of these enchanting candleholders by Putu Oka Mahendra. Their slender forms pose on slim candlesticks, shaped by hand on the potter's wheel. Once glazed, the pieces are high fired for eight hours, resulting in a hard, glossy finish. Their cool, green-blue color whispers of Balinese rain forests - a beautiful decorative accessory for any setting. Artisan Info: Putu Oka Mahendra was born in the Tabanan regency of Bali on June 12, 1966. His mother, Made Tantri, pioneered ceramic artistry in 1980. She was a woman full of energy and highly self-confident. When she first started she undertook the entire crafting procedure by herself - from creating the design until finishing the product. She gradually developed a reputation for fine design and high quality and people started placing so many orders that she saw the need to hire assistants. In 1990, when Tantri passed away, Oka Mahendra took-over her work, and eventually opened a showroom in her memory. To create his designs, Oka Mahendra finds inspiration in the luscious flora and fauna of Bali. In 1993, he was the third place winner for his ceramic designs in the Lomba Ceramic Design contest. Oka Mahendra has exhibited his hand-crafted items at the Asian Trade Fair (ATF) at Jakarta in 1993