The Second Life of the Vessel
The honey ends. The vessel is only beginning.
A glass jar is packaging: it does its job and is thrown away. A Fantina vessel was shaped and painted by hand in Santa María Canchesdá to outlive what it holds. When the last spoon of honey is gone, it moves to another room, takes on another job, and stays for years.
First, how to clean it
Wash it by hand with warm water and mild soap, and let it dry completely before its next use. No dishwasher and no microwave: the glaze and the painting were made to last decades, not to survive cycles of industrial heat.
In the kitchen
- Coarse salt by the stove, where a hand can reach it while cooking.
- Whole spices: cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise.
- Piloncillo or sugar for the morning coffee.
On the bar
Beside the bottles, holding the bar spoon, the peeler, the cocktail picks. A hand-painted piece reads as intention, not clutter. The syrup it was holding.
On the table
Salt for the dinner, served from something with a history behind it.
By the bed and the mirror
Rings, earrings, cufflinks, the watch taken off at night. The lid keeps them together; the painting keeps the corner beautiful.
On the desk
Paper clips, pins, the small things that otherwise live in a drawer.
On the ofrenda
Salt is one of the elements of a Día de Muertos altar, a symbol of purification. What goes on an ofrenda.
Why it is worth keeping
Every vessel is painted freehand, without a stencil, so no two are alike, and each Enredadera carries its own number out of seven hundred. The one on your shelf is the only one exactly like it.
Where does yours live now?
Send a photo to fantina.sale@gmail.com telling us where it ended up. With your permission and your name, we may publish it here.
Questions
Can the vessel go in the dishwasher?
No. Wash it by hand with warm water and mild soap.
Can it hold water or flowers?
We do not recommend it. It was made for honey and for dry things: salt, spices, sugar, jewelry.
Are all the vessels the same?
No. Each one is painted by hand, without a stencil, so no two are identical.