Animal Companions for a Cheerful Home

JUN. 2018 -no.2

Animal Companions for a Cheerful Home

If you had an empty shelf in your room, what would you put on it? Flowers would bring color. A beautiful dish might change the mood. And what if you placed an animal ornament there? Each glance could suggest a little story about its life, bringing a moment of affection or amusement. A group of just such animal ornaments has joined POTPURRI's collection. Inspired by motifs long enjoyed in Scandinavian ceramics, each animal expresses its character through the color and pattern of its glaze. Take the polar bear, quietly walking across a snowy landscape. A glaze that varies in the kiln brings a faint pink to its white surface: a hint of a living creature's warmth within the snow. The blue water bird has featherlike relief carved into its body. It seems almost ready to lift its wings and send water flying.

How the animals take shape

Alongside tableware and practical objects, POTPURRI began making ceramic pieces that could enrich a room simply through their presence. Animals have expressive faces and forms, offering many ways to explore clay and glaze. These pieces are made individually by hand in our Tokyo workshop, separate from the main tableware production line, so that experimentation can continue. They begin with slip casting: liquid clay is poured into a plaster mold and allowed to firm up. Although molds establish the shapes, every piece is carefully finished by hand and given a mark identifying it as work from the Tokyo studio. The differences that emerge in firing are part of ceramics' appeal. Leaflike fur, lively poses and other individually worked details give these animals their distinctive character.

A little color and character in everyday life

A decorative object is not necessarily something we need for everyday life. Just as tastes differ, so do the ways people choose to display things. A seasonal flower or a new object can bring a small, welcome change to a familiar room. POTPURRI's animals offer that kind of pleasure, whether as a gift for someone close or a companion on your own shelf. Perhaps one could find a place in your living room or entrance hall.