International panels of experts gathered across four regions in Asia over the last few weeks to judge over 580 entries for the 2008 UNESCO Award of Excellence for Handicrafts.

On October 14th, in Bangkok, The UNESCO Award of Excellence was presented to a handful of artisans and craft companies from the South-East Asia region. The Natural Light Company in Bali, had the distinction of being the only candle manufacturer in Asia to receive this prestigious award for their product.

Above left: Honorary President of AHPADA, Surapee Rojanawongse presents Natural Light Company Director, Kelly Marciano, with the UNESCO award.

The range of handicrafts being considered was highly diverse with submissions being taken from eleven countries.

An international panel of experts in design, marketing and handicraft production, systematically judged the submissions through four key criteria, including; excellence, authenticity, innovation, and marketability as well as other criteria such as design, eco-friendliness, and the social responsibility of the producer.

By recognizing such characteristics in craftsmanship, the UNESCO programme aims to encourage the craft sector to preserve cultural diversity and traditional skills, to promote high standards of quality and authenticity, raise international awareness for Asian handicraft products while encouraging artisans to consider the relevance and function of their creations.

The particular product that The Natural Light Company received their award for was a natural wax candle from their Banana Leaf Collection pictured below.

The award winning candle is not made of ordinary paraffin, but instead uses a long burning sustainable beeswax blend. Although it is made entirely of wax, the design is so detailed and realistic that it appears as though green banana leaves have been layered and stretched over a modern cube and surrounded by tiny bundles of bamboo. The small 7.5cm candle burns for more than 60 hours. Natural Light Company artisans use traditional handicraft skills in each stage of the production process, from wax pouring, to hand finishing and hand painting, with one candle often passing through the hands of eleven or more artisans from the first to the last stage. Each candle is a small work of art and a reminder of man's unique ability and gift to create.