I love my big mug of builders tea first thing in the morning, followed a little later by my one cup of coffee of the day, and then my afternoon redbush teas. All are drunk from different sizes and styles of mugs, each of which is perfectly suited to the drink. When we’re away from home, I feel quite out of sorts if there isn’t a big enough mug for my early morning cuppa.
So I couldn’t help but smile when I read the following quote from British tableware and home accessories designer Sue Pryke:
I’m inspired by the everyday and the ordinary; material qualities, textures and the interaction we have with objects. Small details and preferences which reflect the intuitive decision making we all make on a daily basis when choosing what cup to take from the cupboard for a cup of tea.
Exactly! And Sue’s new range of tableware, the Mr & Mrs Studio Collection has some very lovely pieces that will make tea drinking even more of a pleasure. The collection was developed in conjunction with Wild + Wood, the outdoors brand run by Sue’s husband, John. They say:
The Mr & Mrs Collection balances the naturals of wood and ceramic with accents in leather and hints of cool grays, giving a pared back simple aesthetic.
The range is crafted from parian porcelain which, I discovered, is “a fine-grained, hard-paste porcelain named after Paros, the Greek island renowned for its fine-textured, white marble of the same name”.
The collection includes this striking teapot, with a beautiful bent oak handle, and oak knob for the lid. The the same wood has been used for the lid of the sugar bowl, and the handle of the strainer, both pictured below.
Other pieces include a tea bowl, small creamer jug, and larger carafe that could be used for milk. Each item is s individually slipcast and then polished to give a smooth pebbly finish. The high temperature used to fire the clay until it’s vitrified, and no longer porous, gives it a stone-like quality which perfectly suits the smooth, simple lines of Sue’s designs. They do remind me of pebbles and stones found on a beach, with their curves polished smooth by the waves.
I love the simplicity and purity of the designs and the silky, stone like porcelain. My big worry is that the teabowl, above, just isn’t big enough. But maybe I could learn to live with that.
Find the Mr & Mrs Studio Collection by Sue Pryke online at amara.com
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