Global Crafts Nobunto Ukhisimusi Taper Candles, Set of 3 Unscented, 9 in

Global Crafts Nobunto Ukhisimusi Taper Candles, Set of 3 Unscented, 9 in

• ZULU SEASON GREETING: The Ukhisimusi pattern takes its name from Sinifisela Ukhisimusi Omuhle, the Zulu way of wishing someone a merry Christmas, and draws on the summer beach celebrations of southern Africa rather than snow and pine. Bands, dots and repeating motifs run the full length of each taper, turning a plain candlestick into color.
• POURED THEN PAINTED: Every taper is poured first, then given a base coat by a background painter before a second artist lays the design over it in quick freehand strokes. Because the work is freehand, the three in a set stay consistent in palette and iconography while differing in detail, and the style shown represents the design rather than an exact copy.
• WAX, WICK AND BURN TIME: Made from fully refined paraffin wax with natural wicks and color pigments, and left unscented so the set suits a dinner table without competing with food or wine. Each taper measures 9 in tall by 0.75 in in diameter and burns for roughly 10 hours. Three arrive boxed and ready to hand over.
• CENTERPIECES AND CELEBRATIONS: Stand them in brass, gold or ceramic holders for a Christmas centerpiece, a run along a mantel or a place setting at a dinner party, where painted tapers lift a plain cloth far more than plain white ones. They are as much decorative objects as candles, so one can stay unlit on a shelf and still earn its place.
• SOUTH AFRICAN PAINTERS: The artists behind these tapers work in a South African studio where the craft supports whole households, and the candles are purchased on fair trade terms that pay for practiced hands rather than piece rate speed. Global Crafts is a member of the Fair Trade Federation, and regular orders let a studio plan its year with some certainty.