An example listing that sells

The story

I shape each vase by hand from river clay, without a wheel. I pinch the walls up slowly and smooth them with my fingers, so the surface keeps soft dents and ridges instead of looking machine-made. Each vase dries in the shade for about a week, then is fired once in a gas kiln. I leave it unglazed, so it keeps the warm, chalky colour of the clay. Choose from three shapes. The round vase is 11 in (28 cm) tall and 9 in (23 cm) across, with a 3.5 in (9 cm) mouth. The kolshi, shaped like a village water pot, is 8 in (20 cm) tall and 6 in (16 cm) across. The gourd is 8.5 in (22 cm) tall and 5 in (13 cm) across. One looks good alone; all three make a group for a shelf or side table. Unglazed clay is porous, so these vases don't hold water. Fill them with dried flowers, kash, pampas, cotton stems or a few branches, or put a glass jar inside for fresh flowers. Dust with a soft, dry cloth. Each vase is made by hand, so small differences in size, shade and surface from the photos are normal.

In the parcel

One vase in the shape you choose, wrapped in straw and packed in a double box. The white stand in the photos is not included.

Care

Dust with a soft, dry cloth or brush. Don't wash it with soap or leave it standing in water: unglazed clay soaks up water and smells, and can crack if it stays wet. For fresh flowers, put a glass jar inside. Keep it indoors on a flat, steady surface, away from the edge of a shelf.