Ceramics Inspired by 20th Century Dishware

Just when we thought we’d had our fill of minimalist white ceramics, along comes Brooklyn-based Clam Lab, a line of handcrafted pieces from designer Clair Catillaz. Clam Lab focuses on “elegant, form-focused objects that are made to be touched and used” and are produced in small batches on a human-powered kick wheel or cast from handmade molds.

Above: Infinity Bowls, sold in sets of seven nesting bowls, are made from mixed porcelain and stoneware in a range of whites; $300 for the set.

Above: Stacks of the studio’s Pasta/Entrée Bowl in wheel-thrown white stoneware and finished with a gloss white interior and satin/matte exterior, the two blending at the rim; $50 each.

Above: The Teapot is small (holding about 20 ounces and measuring six inches tall) and made from raw, smooth chocolate stoneware with a texture of beach rock. It’s lined in satin white and includes a wire mesh tea strainer for loose tea; $200.

Above: The Clam Lab line is “sparked by an obsession with 20th century dishware, and guided by ten years of study in studio ceramics.” 

Above: Glazes at Clam Lab are formulated in small runs, resulting in a subtle spectrum of color. Shown above are Soup Bowls made from wheel thrown stoneware and a hand-mixed oatmeal glaze; $84 for a set of two.

For some of our other favorite small scale ceramics studios, see our previous posts on: Rachel Dormor’s Farm-to-Table Ceramics, Soulful Ceramics from Janaki Larsen, and A City of Ceramics by Four Dutch Designers.