We talk a lot about a ceramic piece’s function: How a platter is perfect for appetizers or a vase is great for displaying cut flowers. But we all know there are millions of serving platters and ceramic vases that function well. Thanks to Ikea and Target, we can buy functional ceramic pieces for less than 10 bucks!…
One thing I love about ceramics is its rich history and variety worldwide. French ceramics is a great example: From Provence to Brittany (Bretagne), French ceramics are as varied as the people and traditions that make them. Recently I came across my parents’ collection of hand painted plates from Quimper (pronounced kemper) and got inspired to find…
I talk a lot about my love of handmade Italian ceramics, but let’s take a look at the alternatives. There are many stores and sites that sell “Italian ceramics” – but are they really what they claim to be? What should you be aware of when looking for stores that sell Italian ceramics? And what are really…
Originality is an important quality when it comes to all ceramics. But with the wide variety of majolica plates out there, I’m always looking for something that’s fresh and new. Not to say that I discount tradition – just look at examples of Italian ceramics from Umbria or Faenza Italian ceramics. (Faenza, by the way,…
There’s such a rich history of Mexican ceramic art: Like how Talavera Vázquez started a revolution that continues today, how Mata Ortiz pottery was first developed by Juan Quezada, and how Gorky Gonzalez revitalized the Mexican tradition of majolica. There’s always something more to learn about and while Mexican ceramic art has been around for thousands of years, you can see…
It has been 4 years since I happened upon Sylvie Duriez and her artwork at a pottery market in Marseille, France. I remember her as being quiet, tentative to use her little English to communicate with me, and completely modest about the beautifully-painted plates, bowls, and pitchers that I was gushing over. Since then I have emailed…
Wow, what a day! By the time we made it to our destination, the pottery shop was closed for lunch. So we took the hint and went to find our own lunch spot. We drove into Cassis, a picturesque little town nestled into a harbor on the Mediterranean, often described as the poor man’s St….
When Emily asked me to join her for her 2011 France buying trip, I quickly said “Oui! Oui! I’ll figure out how to get the time off, I’ll find a cheap ticket, I’ll move a couple mountains, but YES, I’m coming.” (I sadly had to miss her trip last year, and spent the week painfully…
Here at Emilia Ceramics, we talk a lot about our pieces being individually handmade instead of coming off a mechanized factory-line. And I guess it’s just assumed that the label “handmade” means that a piece is special and should be valued accordingly. But why is that really? What makes handmade better, more special, and more…
After my recent buying trip to France, I’ve been craving café crème and chocolat chaud like never before. Coffee culture is such a mainstay of French life; it’s easy to lose count of the espresso drinks you’ve consumed during the day. Even the tiniest town will have a café that makes incredible coffee, stuff that you’d only find at…