Wabi Coarse-Glaze Ceramic Vase

The Wabi Coarse-Glaze Ceramic Vase from Solae Design is made in Jingdezhen, the porcelain city that has produced Chinese ceramics for more than a thousand years. The finish here is a sandy, coarse-textured glaze rather than the high gloss the region is better known for — a deliberately restrained surface in the wabi-sabi manner.

The glaze is where the interest sits. A sanded matte finish breaks up reflected light instead of returning it, so the form is read through shadow and texture rather than highlight, and small variations in glaze thickness show as tonal shifts across the body. Because these are fired in batches, colour and texture vary slightly between individual pieces; that variation is characteristic of the glaze rather than a defect, and it is why no two are quite alike.

Works as a flower vessel, a pot for dried arrangements, or as a standalone object on a shelf or console where the surface can be seen in raking light. Rinse with cool water and dry thoroughly. Avoid abrasive scourers and dishwashers, both of which will polish or scar a matte glaze permanently and cannot be undone. Interior glazing varies between pieces, so check whether yours holds water before using it for fresh stems.

• Origin: Jingdezhen, China
• Finish: sandy coarse matte glaze
• Aesthetic: wabi-sabi, restrained surface
• Colour and texture vary between pieces
• Multiple sizes and forms offered
• Suited to fresh or dried arrangements
• Rinse cool, dry thoroughly
• Avoid abrasives and dishwashers