Royal Selangor’s Five Elements by Freeman Lau

Friday 20 May 2011

Royal Selangor's Five Elements by Freeman Lau, 2011

Renowned Hong Kong designer, Freeman Lau adds desk and home accessories to his designer collection for Malaysian pewter gift and homeware specialist, Royal Selangor. Taking inspiration from the traditional Chinese philosophy of Five Elements – wood, fire, earth, metal and water - the monographic swirls on each product symbolises “balance; leading to harmony, growth and prosperity”.


Royal Selangor's Five Elements by Freeman Lau, 2011

Royal Selangor's Five Elements by Freeman Lau, 2009

Produced from pewter and Nyatoh wood, an incense burner, incense box, scent holder, photoframe, desk caddy, letter rack, pen caddy and soapstone seals join the original collection, which debuted in 2009, a tea set, tea caddies, a mug, a pair of plaques and five pendants.

In traditional Chinese philosophy, everything in the universe has a relationship with the Five Elements, as they are believed to influence and determine all natural phenomena. Viewed as constantly shifting entities that co-exist in a perpetual cycle of change and progression, the Five Elements support as well as consume each other; water nourishes wood that feeds fire, creating earth in the form of ash, and earth bears metal which collects water. When these Five Elements are in a state of balance, the flow of energy between the elements is smooth and cyclical, rather than static or discordant.” Royal Selangor