Calligraphic Sculpted Brass Side Table by Misaya

Misaya emulates Chinese ink paintings through the process of lost-wax casting.

Each piece in the Ink collection – which consists of a dining chair, stool and bench – was first cast in a steel-backed wax mould.

In a process that dates back around five thousand years, these prototype moulds were then filled with molten brass and left to cool before the surrounding wax model is melted away.

To iron out any unevenness from the contraction of the cooling metal, each item in the Ink collection goes through four to five rounds of prototype testing.

Once the desired shape is achieved, the final pieces are scrubbed, patinated and polished to create the colours, which vary from gold to soft matte black or a combination of the two.

The designers were originally fascinated by the free-flowing lines and the feeling of movement in Chinese painting, which is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world.

According to the designer, lost-wax casting was the perfect process to complement this: “The lines and structures are meant to resemble brush strokes, and wax casting makes it possible to create these moving lines.”

The results are sculptural – with the chair poised precariously on pointed stilts, and the stool and bench held up by sloping legs that seem almost fluid like the ink strokes created by a brush.

For the chair and bench, upholstery was added in a range of contrasting colours and textures from velvet in teal blue to brown satin.

Just as Chinese ink paintings are distinguished by their harmonious rhythm and composition, Misaya hopes that users will be able to derive both sensory and aesthetic pleasure from the collection.