River Crackle Stoneware Vase 20cm - Green

Our River vase is a slim, flat-sided stoneware vase, 20.5cm long, 6cm wide and 20cm tall, and it reads more like a cut-out drawing than a round pot. One side follows a softly wavy outline, rather like a profile, while the other rises into a short neck with a narrow rectangular mouth and a loop shaped like a jug handle, open through the middle with an irregular cut-out. A green crackle glaze covers the neck, the loop and about half the body, pooling darker at the edges, and the rest is left plain and smooth.

Because it is only 6cm wide, it fits the places a round vase will not: a narrow windowsill, the front of a bookshelf, a mantelpiece or a slim console in the hallway. At 20cm tall it sits comfortably under a wall shelf or on a bedside table without crowding it. We like it with a single dried stem or a sprig of dried grasses through the mouth, though its outline is strong enough to stand empty as a small sculpture on a desk or a dresser. It suits anyone who likes ceramics with a bit of character and makes a gift for someone setting up a first home.

It is made of 100% stoneware, a dense clay fired hard, and at 1KG it has a reassuring weight in the hand for so slim a vase. The crackle glaze carries a fine network of lines across the green, and reactive glazes settle a little differently in each firing, so the depth of green can vary from vase to vase. It is not for the dishwasher, the microwave or the oven, and not for food, so treat it as a decorative piece. For styling, stand it front-on against a plain wall, where the outline shows best, or turn it a little so the light comes through the cut-out in the handle.

What material is the River vase?

It is made of 100% stoneware, finished with a green reactive crackle glaze over the neck, the handle and about half the body.

How big is the vase?

It is 20.5cm long, 6cm wide and 20cm tall and weighs 1KG, so it suits a narrow shelf, a windowsill or a mantelpiece.

Can it go in the dishwasher?

No. The maker says it is not for the dishwasher, and it is not for the microwave or the oven either.

Can I use it for food?

No. It is not approved for food, so we treat it as a decorative vase for dried stems or for display on its own.

Is every vase glazed exactly alike?

No. Reactive glazes settle a little differently in each firing, so the depth of green and the run of the crackle lines can vary from vase to vase.

What purpose does the cut-out in the handle serve?

It is a decorative opening that lets light pass through the loop and keeps the outline open and airy from every angle.