Preserving African pottery traditions and meaning

Since time immemorial, African women have worked with the earth, hand-making earthenware pots for cooking, storage and carrying water. In Southern Africa, the ubiquitous round clay pot is iconic, a symbol of the creativity of African women, who took pride in their craft.

The Shona hari was a vessel, typically crafted by its user, decorated with distinct chevron pattern and painted with natural oxides. Each pattern held the mark of its maker, each truly an artistic expression, quite literally, marked with her hand. 

All our crafts — clay, weaving, dye — are more than techniques. They are ways of remembering.

They remind us that making is not separate from living, that art and use are the same thing when done with intention. Each handmade object carries the touch of time — the gestures of those who came before and the imprint of those who will come after. We believe in preserving our maker traditions, observing the soul of the craft and traditions of those who came before us.

Our designs are modern, yes, but our range is crafted to bring the unique character of well-made, handmade product to your table. We choose to use sustainably and locally sourced clay, complete with the imperfections of natural material, and are constantly thriving to improve our process. We choose to work the clay by hand, giving to the world our modern take on an age-old maker tradition. 

In this fast, unfeeling world, the handmade becomes a small act of defiance. It says: I still remember. I still touch. I still honour the rhythm of things that take time.

And maybe that’s what we are all trying to do — to find our way back to what our hands already know.