Ceramic incense holder
At Astier de Villatte’s Parisian workshops, Tibetan artists transform clay into coveted curiosities. There’s no trace of an assembly line, and their whimsical colourless ceramics are made, not produced. Each piece of tableware— dishes eschew perfect circles for the artfully wobbly, and tea pots appear delightfully off-kilter— is entirely handcrafted by a single artisan at Astier de Villatte’s workshop. And much of its charm has much to do with the clay they use; one that’s traditionally used for sculpture rather than ceramics, leading to a slightly rougher finish. Why, you ask? The obvious answer: because it’s beautiful.
« We want to make beautiful things that could fit into a still life », Ivan explains, «instead of focusing too much on practicality ».