It is easy to think of little beyond general crockery when thinking of ceramics. Plates and bowls and frog shaped soap holders are scattered around the home and we take them for granted because they are readily available and affordable. Some can be very inexpensive and some could almost pay for a car.
What is the difference?
Why pay more?
But then again, why pay hundreds of dollars for a dress if a $20 frock will cover your modest bits just as well?
These days the choices are endless and it’s really about what you can afford and what is most important to you.
The mere appearance of something can be important or not. For me, when I eat out of a beautiful bowl I appreciate the lovely bowl. When I eat out of a cheap mass produced bowl, I still enjoy my food. Yet there is something a little more special if I also love the bowl. Eating at a fine restaurant, we pay for a nice presentation as well as nice food, then walk away with a full stomach and a nice memory. Having your own things at home that you love can give you that special feeling every day.
But appearance isn’t everything. Functionality is important when you use something often. I find, in my kitchen, I favour items that are easy to use, easy to clean, and stack well in the dishwasher. I love things that give me the extra enjoyment without the penalty of extra effort.
I also find that, despite decades of practice, my eating skills occasionally fall tragically short. Not everyone eats as our mothers say they should, for instance, at a dinner table with your family and proper table manners on display. These days it’s much more common for someone to be holding their bowl of cereal for dinner while simultaneously staring at a rectangle. A bowl that is easy to hold might be a better choice than one that looks elegant on a dinner table. Some of us may like to hold it directly under our chins as we attempt to shovel its contents into our mouths.
Our use of crockery has evolved for some people, and traditional crockery may not necessarily be ideal any longer. In fact, these days, we can personalise and individualise almost everything in our lives.
We should feel free to consider our own personal preferences and select exactly what suits us best. Hand made pottery offers much more choice for individuals.
Mass produced pottery is also usually slip cast. Whatever type of clay is used, whether earthenware or stoneware or porcelain or whatever else, it can be made runny enough to be poured into a mould. This ensures consistently identical product by the thousands. Although this isn’t a bad thing, it does mean that commercial considerations play a part in design, such as acceptable strength with minimal weight, designs that are most likely to appeal to large numbers of people, and costs kept as low as possible. Most of these manufacturers are located overseas and transport of heavy ceramics has a some cost to the environment. Despite this, ceramic ware often costs little money and with technological advancements, can often look perfectly lovely and appealing, and have an acceptable array of choices.
Cheaper ceramics are often earthenware. This means it’s made of clay fired at a lower temperature. If you were to drop an earthenware bowl, it would likely smash into many pieces, and earthenware items are more likely to chip and crack because they are not as strong as stoneware. Stoneware is more vitrified because it is fired to a higher temperature and could be thought of as more ‘rock like’. Stoneware is stronger and a dropped piece of stoneware would be more likely to break into a few large pieces rather than many smaller ones. Stoneware will also remain in better condition for much longer than earthenware. Stoneware clays are variable and can be grainy or smooth, and come in many colours. Our studio favours stoneware for items that are to be used and handled because this will ensure a longer life for them.
Stoneware is not permeable because it is so vitrified, so items that need to absorb moisture are not stoneware.
Ultimately it probably doesn’t matter how a bowl is made if it’s functional and appealing to the eye. However these days, as responsible citizens of the world, we can consider much more than the look and monetary price of our ceramic wares.
Imported ceramic ware generally arrives by freight ships, which are terrible polluters. Ceramic wares bought from preferably local potters allow creative members of our community to support themselves doing something that takes hard earned skill and passion. It allows everyone to own unique pottery that can suit your individual preferences.
Please come and explore our range. Everything is hand made by us and we are always striving to come up with different products and glazes. One of a kind handmade products can make a perfect gift, but they can also let you have unique belongings that reflect your unique personality and lifestyle.