Romanian Horezu Fruit Bowl

Small fruit bowl hand-thrown from clay collected locally from Ulmet hill near Horezu, Romania, where it’s been extracted carefully for hundreds of years, then shaped using a kick wheel. Preserving ancient techniques passed down through generations, the artisans use colours from local ingredients, such as a specific iron oxide-rich soil known locally as ruseala, brought from Vaideeni, a nearby village.

The intricate swirling pattern, which makes each unique, is created using a tool made from a cow horn and feather, along with brushes and wire-tipped sticks.