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The Ethnic Collection S.A.
Amazonas N 2157 y Robles
Quito
Ecuador
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FROM ECUADOR TO THE WORLD
The Ethnic Collection S.A. is situated in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. The inspiration for the company came from talking to craftsmen and women in remote villages in the Ecuadorian rainforest where balsa wood carving originated and learning about their lives, needs and dreams. We are more than just a business. We have been manufacturing balsa wood carvings since 1997 and we have created a bridge between our skillful artisans and the people who appreciate their work. Today we export to twelve countries across three continents. This allows us to provide secure, full-time employment with good conditions for forty artisans and their families.
Our philosophy is to offer exclusive high quality products and excellent customer service. Our customers always come first. We keep an open friendly line of communication with them in both English and Spanish.
The protection of our Environment is also one of our major concerns. The timber we use comes from balsa wood plantations in the Ecuadorian coastal region.
PRODUCTS
BALSA WOOD CARVINGS
Each balsa wood carving is entirely handmade with passion and pride by our artisans. The collection includes exotic designs and colours taken from the flora and fauna of the Amazon rainforest and the Galapagos Islands - birds, fishes, turtles and many more. The carvings are available either in a natural or lacquered finish.
The Balsa Tree
The balsa tree needs a warm climate with plenty of rainfall and good drainage. Ecuador has the ideal geography and climate to grow it. It grows naturally in the humid rainforest and also in plantations on the western coast of Ecuador.
Balsa trees grow very rapidly. Six months after germination, the tree is about 1-1/2 inches in diameter and 10 - 12 feet tall. In 6 to 10 years the tree is ready for cutting, having reached a height of 60 to 90 feet tall, and a diameter of 12 to 45 inches.
Process of Making a Balsa Wood Piece:
• Starting with a felled fresh tree, the carvers cut it into several basic blocks.
• With their skilled eye, the carvers begin forming the piece. It is carved with nothing more than a knife, but it requires especially sharp cutting edges to prevent crushing. It takes about two hours to make one large piece.
• The piece is carefully kiln dried to remove most of the water before the next step. Kiln drying removes the excess water until the moisture content is only 6%. Kiln drying also kills any bacteria, fungi and insects that may be in the raw balsa wood.
• As the piece dries, it cracks. The cracks are filled with small pieces of the same wood.
• The piece is sanded until its surface is completely smooth.
• The details of the piece are engraved by a process of pyrography.
• Finally, imaginative and skillful painters add wonderful bright water colours to the piece.
FUSED GLASS
Fusing Glass is a technique used to obtain homogenous glass layers by means of the fusion of different layers of glass which must have the same coefficient of expansion (the rate at which the glass expands). Melting and molding the glass creates spectacular pieces art. Part of its beauty is that the results are not totally predictable. Each piece is a unique and exotic example of art. The variety of forms and decorative patterns resulting from this process are infinite. Not two pieces are the same.
Our collection includes practical and ornamental such as candle holders, plates, flower pots, wall hangers, animal figures, etc. Additionally, we make a line of jewellery.
Trade Shows:
We exhibit our products at the Frankfurt Messe Trade Shows, the Ambiente (end of February) and the Tendence (end of August). You are welcome to visit us at our stand!
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