We reproduce antique redware and our work is made to look old. Any cracks, chips and slight crazing are intentional to each piece to give the feel of an antique relic. All our pieces are lead-free and food safe, signed and antiqued on the unglazed surfaces and we prefer hand-washing to protect our natural sealer. Since these are hand-made, one-of-a-kind pieces, you will notice variations in form, color and design. The pots are not microwave safe.
Our redware is hand-made and hand decorated by using our special clay mix and unique lead-free glaze. In order for us to control color and quality, we blend our own clay from five different clays found in different parts of the United States. Rick uses an old decorating technique called "slip trailing" to decorate the pots with different colors of clays. Garine uses the sgraffito and stamping techniques. Sgraffito cuts through the yellow slip on the surface to reveal the red body of the clay beneath and stamping is using a found object to add the slips to the surface of the pot, thus creating a pattern. All our pots are fired twice and have slight crazing in various degrees on the surface of the glaze to make them look old. Most of our plates also have cat paw prints impressed on the back that were originally created by our Siamese cat, Ashby.
Since redware pottery cannot withstand drastic changes in temperature, pie plates and baking dishes can be used for baking as long as they are gradually warmed. Platters and plates should be at room temperature or warmed slightly before using to serve very hot food.
Redware by nature is somewhat porous. A redware pot will hold liquid for a period of time, but is not recommended for long-term storage of liquids and if used as a vase, place a liner in the vase to protect your furniture. Thank you for finding a place in your home for our products.