The Crystal Collection
Stoneware bonsai pots inspired by the natural world.
Background
The Crystal Collection explores the relationship between stoneware, glaze chemistry and the natural world. Each pot is handcrafted by Ian Jobling Ceramics in Durham UK, using specialist glazes to create distinctive surfaces and patterns.
From subtle, flowing textures to striking crystalline formations, each finish develops through the interaction of glaze materials, application techniques and firing temperature profiles. The result is a collection of individual bonsai pots in which the glaze becomes an integral part of the design.
The Inspiration
The collection grew from an interest in the unpredictable qualities of ceramic glazes and the possibilities they offer for bonsai pot design. Inspiration by the colours, textures and patterns found in nature, the work explores how stoneware can evoke the character of the Ocean, Forests and Deserts and their changing landscape.
Although the firing process influences the final result, each pot begins with a considered form. Shape, proportion, surface and colour work together to complement the bonsai tree in its setting.
Shapes, sizes and colours
Standard shapes include round, oval, rectangonal, hexagonal, quince, cascade and semi-cascade. Sizes are suitable for Mame, Shohin and larger and colours include crystalline, green, yellow, cream, blue and amber.
Individual Character
Every pot in the Crystal Collection has its own character. Variations in crystalline patterns, colour and surface mean that no two pot finishes are alike.
Handcrafted from local clay sourced from Stoke on Trent, the heartland of the British Pottery Industry, the collection brings together functional bonsai pot design and distinctive visual qualities of specialist glaze finishes.
