Jars Céramistes Dessert plate Brown Ceramic. Dimensions: 14 × 20 cm x H
2 cm. Each piece in the Maguelone collection is entirely handmade in the Jars
Céramistes workshops in Anneyron in Drôme. Since its founding by Pierre Jars
in 1857, the profession of earthenwork has been passed down from generation to
generation in the Jars factory: this centuries-old know-how has raised Jars to
the rank of French Living Heritage Company (EPV label). For this collection with
its rustic chic look, Jars offers us a palette of subtle matt colours, inspired
as always by the colours of nature. The slightly irregular round contours are
highlighted by the matt finish with its powdery touch. Maguelone celebrates the
art of the imperfect object, the spectacular marriage of raw earth and ash
enamels. From these unique pieces emerges a poetry of material, a mix of
strength and softness. Stoneware is made exclusively from natural components.
Stoneware is arguably the strongest and most natural ceramic. Unlike
earthenware, terracotta clay is waterproof and non-porous, even without enamel.
As a result, it keeps food hot or cold for a long time. Real treasures, the
enamels are made from vegetable ashes, without the addition of toxic material
(lead or cadmium). Reconstructing an enamel with ashes and then standardising it
is a long and difficult job. It’s at the cost of this artisanal work that the
ashes give these colours and these particular materials, a unique depth of
enamel. This know-how, like all the changing earthenware in this profession,
enriches the magic of firing. Enamels make up an infinite palette: lively, deep,
crystallised, crackled, matt or shiny tones. Dipped with a ladle, applied with a
brush on an outline, or sprayed delicately by hand, the craftsman's work is
always beautiful and precise.
