Have you ever thought about just how many uses there are for a jar? A jar can be used to store food, liquid or solid. It can be used to transport items from one place to another. Jars can be decorations or drinking cups. They can be vessels for candles or to grow plants in. […]

I live in a land where broken pottery abounds. Shards strewn about with the dust and the rocks, the former as commonplace as the latter. When I first came here, then as a simple tourist, I remember excitedly finding a small, broken earthenware piece that could fit in my palm. “Can I keep it?” I […]

I’ll never forget the painting class I took earlier this year. Dozens of women were all sitting around blank canvases, brushes in hand, when the teacher challenged us: “Imagine what type of vessel you are.” I froze. I imagined my fellow artists had images pop into their minds: “A sturdy, useful mug” or “A delicate […]

 I have an earthenware crock that I use to make sauerkraut each year. However, the lid is cracked and fragile, so I always have to be careful when I am using it. One slip and the whole thing will shatter. The crock is discolored and an ugly gray color. But despite it’s plain appearance, it […]