Kovecses, Designs in Wood Joe and Karen Kovecses' studio is located in a wooded area of Pennsylvania's beautiful Lehigh Valley. Having studied architecture, Joe has incorporated the idea of form following function into his designs. All their pieces are hand-crafted solely by Joe and Karen Kovecses The Kovecses had this to say about their Ikebana Vessels: "Ikebana is the Japanese word for flower arrangement, although Ikebanas include everything that grows: flowers, shrubs, tree branches, even lifeless branches, driftwood, rocks, seashells, etc. The vessel represents the good earth and with your creativity you can arrange them as to express a feeling or relay a message. For instance, the bamboo, standing for faithfulness, together with peach blossoms, which denote mildness and gentleness, make for a happy marriage. The plum stands for good fortune. There are countless others to be explored."