A wide stoneware bowl glazed deep aubergine over celadon, holding six red and yellow apples, on a dark wooden table between mason jars and a basket.

Thrown stoneware, made to be used.

Three pieces from this autumn — a bud vase, a bottle and a bowl. Photographed where they live rather than against a backdrop, because that is the point of them.

I

Crackled bud vase

A low, wide-shouldered form that takes a handful of stems and nothing more. The cobalt was poured at the rim and allowed to find its own way down; the crazing took the smoke afterwards and drew the rest.

A squat onion-shaped vase in white crackle glaze with cobalt blue running down from the rim, holding dried lavender, beside a lit candle.

The crackle vase on a dark oak dresser in low evening light, dried lavender fanning out above it.

The same vase seen from slightly further back, a painting and two candles behind it.

Close view of the vase's neck, where cobalt pools in the crackle and the glaze catches the light.

Macro detail of the crackle glaze: a fine web of brown and black crazing crossed by two vertical cobalt runs.

Form: Bud vase, thrown
Clay: ⟨clay body⟩
Glaze: White crackle, cobalt runs
Firing: ⟨firing⟩
Height: ⟨height⟩

II

Flanged bottle

The glaze stops where it stops. Copper red breaks over the shoulder into purple and runs until the heat runs out, leaving the speckled foot bare.

A stoneware bottle with a wide flat purple rim, red and purple glaze flowing down its neck onto a speckled oatmeal body.

The flanged bottle holding yellow and red chrysanthemums, against a red and purple painting.

The bottle seen from above the rim, flowers rising out of it, the purple flange catching the light.

Three-quarter view of the bottle, showing how the red glaze pools and drips over the shoulder.

Macro detail of the copper red glaze breaking into purple over a speckled grey clay body.

Form: Bottle, flanged rim
Clay: ⟨clay body⟩
Glaze: Copper red over purple, speckled body
Firing: ⟨firing⟩
Height: ⟨height⟩

III

Serving bowl

Made for the middle of a table. Deep enough for a week of apples, and light enough to carry with one hand when it's empty.

The bowl empty, showing the white glaze pooling across its interior and the pale green foot below.

The bowl of apples seen across the table, a glass jar soft in the foreground.

The empty bowl beside two heads of garlic on a cutting board.

The bowl holding apples on the kitchen table, a chair drawn up beside it.

The bowl's interior filling the frame: white glaze breaking over deep aubergine, finely speckled where the two meet.

Form: Bowl, thrown
Clay: ⟨clay body⟩
Glaze: Aubergine, white pooling, celadon foot
Firing: ⟨firing⟩
Diameter: ⟨diameter⟩