{"title":"IN FOCUS","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"hand-stamped-ceramic-box-ibis-finial-fayoum","title":"Ceramic Box · Ibis Finial · Fayoum","description":"\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eWheel-thrown from dark Aswan clay,\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e this lidded ceramic box is made by  one of Fayoum's master artisans. A burnished black body incised with geometric medallions is crowned with a sienna-glazed lid from which an ibis head emerges as finial. The ibis, now extinct in Egypt but once sacred to Thoth, god of wisdom and knowledge, appears here as both signature motif and quiet act of remembrance. An object to keep on a desk, a shelf, or an altar.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003eThe Craft.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eWheel-thrown from dark Nile clay sourced in Aswan, this lidded box is shaped on the potter's wheel before the surface is worked by hand and b\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eur\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003enished to achieve the deep black sheen of the base, then incised with geometric medallions using hand-carved stamps. The sienna lid, crowned with a sculptural ibis head finial, is thrown and finished separately before the two pieces are matched and fired together. The techniques employed at the Fayoum Pottery School draw on both ancient Egyptian traditions and contemporary methods, including the Japanese \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eraku\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e firing technique.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003eThe Heritage.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eAlthough pottery-making was widespread in Egypt during Pharaonic times, by the late twentieth century decreasing demand had brought the craft to the edge of disappearance. The turning point came in the 1980s, when Swiss-born potter Evelyne Porret made the farming village of Tunis, in the verdant Fayoum oasis, her permanent home. Together with her husband Michel Pastore, she founded the Fayoum Pottery School — teaching the village's children to work with clay and, in doing so, reviving a tradition that had been all but lost. Those students have since opened their own workshops, developing distinct voices whilst remaining in conversation with the school that formed them. Tunis village is today one of Egypt's most quietly remarkable centres of contemporary craft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaker.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eSaleem al-Sattar is a master ceramist working alongside his brother Abd al-Sattar in their workshop in Fayoum. Where many graduates of the Fayoum Pottery School work in the vivid, painted style for which the school is known, Saleem has developed a quieter aesthetic — raw and refined in equal measure, with a minimalist sensibility that sets his work apart. His signature motif is the ibis: a bird now extinct in Egypt, but once sacred to the god Thoth, ancient deity of wisdom, writing, and knowledge. Its recurring presence across Saleem's work is both a personal preoccupation and a quiet act of remembrance.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Handmade in Egypt","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51328904233226,"sku":"","price":72.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0711\/1013\/1978\/files\/WEB_Ibis_Box_by_Sataar_2_07e30ac7-7696-4e07-9320-4b33532dec6a.jpg?v=1774341246"},{"product_id":"korean-ceramic-incense-holder-icheon-metallic-bronze-glaze","title":"Ceramic incense holder · Metallic bronze glaze","description":"\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eKorean ceramic incense holder handmade in Icheon, South Korea's UNESCO-designated ceramics capital. A three-legged oval dish with a textured, organic surface and metallic bronze and gold glaze, paired with a separate green stone-shaped holder for incense sticks. The wide shallow dish collects ash whilst evoking the natural world - stones, sand, water. Each piece is unique, shaped in wood-fired kilns using traditional Korean techniques.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm7\"\u003eThe Craft.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e These pieces are shaped using high-temperature firing techniques developed over centuries, with wood-fired kilns producing the distinctive glazes. The artisan experiments constantly with glazes to create surfaces that evoke natural elements such as stones, sand or waves. Each piece is hand-formed, with the irregular shape and metallic finish making every incense holder unique. The separate stone-shaped holder is crafted to securely position incense sticks whilst complementing the organic aesthetic of the dish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm7\"\u003eThe Heritage.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e Earthenware production began in the Korean peninsula about 10,000 years ago, with high-temperature firing techniques developing during the Three Kingdoms period. By the 9th century, Korea became the second country in the world to produce celadon and white porcelain after China. Icheon has been at the centre of Korean ceramics for more than 1000 years, its masters supplying ceramics to the royal family for over five hundred years during the Joseon kingdom. Designated UNESCO Creative City, Icheon is today home to more than 400 workshops and 40 traditional kilns, where recognised 'master hands' dedicate their lives to protecting Korea's ceramics culture alongside emerging artisans who give the tradition a modern touch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm7\"\u003eThe Maker.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e Jho Soo Kyung, who presents as Orem, creates objects of use by finding inspiration in the natural world around her. Constantly experimenting with glazes, marvellous objects that evoke elements in nature come out of her hands and wood-fired kilns, bridging traditional Korean ceramic techniques with contemporary form.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Handmade in Korea","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51696705765642,"sku":null,"price":75.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0711\/1013\/1978\/files\/OREM_Korean_Ceramics_Incense_Holder_edit2.jpg?v=1792333120"},{"product_id":"japanese-warosoku-candle-plant-wax-natural","title":"Haze wax candle · Warosoku · Plant based","description":"\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eJapanese candle handmade in Kyoto. Made from natural haze tree wax with a thick washi paper and igusa grass wick, the slender cylindrical form burns with a large, vivid flame that produces minimal soot - cleaner and steadier than conventional candles. Perfect for tea ceremonies, meditation, or \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003ecreating a serene home atmosphere.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm7\"\u003eThe Craft.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003eWarosoku\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e are hand-coated around a wick made from Japanese washi paper and igusa grass, with multiple layers of natural wax obtained from the seeds of the haze tree (\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003emokuro\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e) applied by dedicated artisans in a meditative process that requires patience and skill. The cylindrical \u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003ebogata\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e shape serves both aesthetic and functional purposes, allowing the candle to burn evenly, creating a perfect balance of light and shadow. With a large, vivid flame that gives minimal soot, \u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003ewarosoku\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e burn steadier and cleaner than conventional candles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm7\"\u003eThe Heritage.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e The art of \u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003ewarosoku\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e candle-making has served illuminating Japanese homes and temples for over 500 years, in a harmonious blend of practicality and spiritual reverence. These candles emerged during the Muromachi period when Buddhist temples required long-burning, smoke-free illumination for meditation and ceremonies. White \u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003ewarosoku\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e are enjoyed for daily use, embodying the simplicity and purity valued in Japanese aesthetic traditions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm7\"\u003eThe Maker.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e Established 130 years ago in Kyoto, Nakamura Rousoku continues a centuries-old tradition of \u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003ewarosoku\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e craftsmanship, preserving ancient techniques whilst serving temples and modern practitioners of Japanese culture alike. The artisans hand-coat each candle with meticulous attention to detail, using only the finest plant-based waxes. The workshop maintains traditional methods passed down through generations and is actively involved in projects to save and grow haze trees.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Handmade in Japan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51709396549898,"sku":null,"price":14.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0711\/1013\/1978\/files\/Nakamura_Rousoku_Japanese_Candle_Warosoku_natural_01.jpg?v=1792424070"},{"product_id":"glazed-ceramic-lamp-base-leaf-relief","title":"Ceramic lamp base · Leaf relief","description":"\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eHandmade glazed ceramic lamp base from Fayoum, Egypt. Wheel-thrown from locally sourced Nile clay and finished in a smooth ivory and taupe glaze, the surface is decorated with raised leaf impressions that cast subtle shadows across the form - a quiet sculptural presence as much as a functional object. Each piece is individually made and unique. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Craft.\u003c\/strong\u003e Each lamp base is wheel-thrown by hand from clay sourced from the Nile Valley, shaped with precision and decorated with raised leaf relief before being glazed and fired. The ivory glaze is applied to achieve a smooth, luminous finish. Working without moulds or mechanical reproduction, potters produce each piece individually, using natural dyes and local pigments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHeritage.\u003c\/strong\u003e Although pottery making was widespread in Egypt as far back as Pharaonic times, centuries of declining demand brought the craft to near extinction. The revival began in the 1980s when Swiss-born potter Evelyne Porret settled in the farming village of Tunis in the Fayoum oasis and, together with her husband Michel Pastore, founded the Fayoum Pottery School. Drawing on ancient Egyptian techniques and Nile Valley clay, they taught the children of the village t\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eo put their magic into form. \u003c\/span\u003eToday, those first students and the artisans they have in turn taught operate their own workshops, sustaining a living craft tradition in a village that has become one of Egypt's most celebrated centres of contemporary ceramics.\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm7\"\u003eThe Maker. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eAbd el-Sattar was among the first students of Evelyne Porret and one of the earliest to open his own independent workshop. An instinctive experimenter, he has spent decades pushing the boundaries of the Fayoum tradition — developing metallic lustre glazes, mastering raku firing, and continuously seeking new forms and surfaces. He works alongside his brother Saleem, who has developed his own distinctive visual language, and his son Abduh, who is learning the craft at his father's side — ensuring that the family's contribution to Fayoum ceramics will extend into a second generation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Handmade in Egypt","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51724789383434,"sku":null,"price":88.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0711\/1013\/1978\/files\/abdelsattar_lamp_10.jpg?v=1790423350"},{"product_id":"ethiopian-cotton-throw-copper","title":"Ethiopian cotton throw · Copper","description":"\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm8\"\u003eLight handwoven throw, skilfully made by Ethiopian artisans using locally grown, hand-spun cotton and sophisticated dyes. This beautiful piece captivates with its warm copper tones punctuated by delicate bands of supplementary weft in warm ochre and white. Traditional Ethiopian motifs and subtle textural variations inherent in hand-spun fibre give the throw a tribal character that connects contemporary homes to ancient weaving traditions.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm7\"\u003eThe Craft.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003e This throw showcases the collaborative artistry of traditional Ethiopian weaving, where the creation of each textile requires the skills of multiple artisans working in concert. Locally grown cotton is hand-spun using traditional drop spindles- a meditative process that transforms the raw fibre into soft thread. A labour intensive process, the dyeing is done in small batches using environmentally friendly dyes. Weaving, a practice handed down from father to son, has moved from traditional horizontal two-harness treadle looms to larger looms with flying shuttles, which enable the artisans to produce varied textures and weights. The clean, linear aesthetic of supplementary weft decoration reflects design sensibilities found throughout the Horn of Africa, where restraint and precision characterise textile ornamentation. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm7\"\u003eThe Heritage.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003e Ethiopia's weaving tradition stretches back centuries, with cotton cultivation and textile production forming essential parts of daily life, ceremony and cultural identity. Across the bustling towns of 19th century Ethiopia, guilds of master weavers, embroiderers and tailors worked under the patronage of religious and political elites to create garments that spoke of rank and power, whereas rural weavers produced cloth for daily use and ritual needs. Spindling was deemed virtuous, and women from across the social spectrum learned to spin. Different ethnic groups across the country developed their own distinctive weaving styles - the Dorze people of the south are renowned for their intricate cotton weaving, whilst the Tigray region in the north has long been celebrated for its fine white cotton shawls with colourful borders. These patterns, built through meticulous thread manipulation, connect contemporary makers to generations of Ethiopian weavers who have transformed simple fibres into objects of beauty and utility.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm7\"\u003eThe Maker.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003eSpinners, dyers and weavers work hand-in-hand at Sabahar, a fair trade workshop established in Addis Ababa over 20 years ago. Sabahar is dedicated to the preservation of traditional Ethiopian textile making techniques, whilst providing sustainable livelihoods to hundreds of artisans in Addis Ababa, Arba Minch, and Bahar Dahr. Through innovation in techniques, fibres, and technology, Sabahar creates eco-friendly, fair trade textiles that honour traditional Ethiopian craftsmanship whilst meeting contemporary design needs.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Handmade in Ethiopia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52097268416778,"sku":null,"price":120.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0711\/1013\/1978\/files\/SabaharThrowCopper01.jpg?v=1771575525"},{"product_id":"ethiopian-cotton-blanket-herringbone-ivory","title":"Ethiopian cotton blanket · Herringbone · Ivory","description":"\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm8\"\u003eHandwoven throw blanket, skilfully made by Ethiopian artisans on a traditional four-harness loom using hand-spun cotton. A soft piece \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm8\"\u003ein natural ivory w\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm8\"\u003eith timeless herringbone pattern, where the precision of the intricate weave creates both visual texture and substantial weight that embody the essence of 'mechot' - the Amharic word for cosy and comforting.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm7\"\u003eThe Craft.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003e This throw showcases the collaborative artistry of traditional Ethiopian weaving, where the creation of each textile requires the skills of multiple artisans working in concert. Locally grown cotton is hand-spun using traditional drop spindles- a meditative process that transforms the raw fibre into soft thread. A labour intensive process, the dyeing is done in small batches using environmentally friendly dyes. Weaving, a practice handed down from father to son, has moved from traditional horizontal two-harness treadle looms to larger looms with flying shuttles, which enable the artisans to produce varied textures and weights. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm7\"\u003eThe Heritage.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003e Ethiopia's weaving tradition stretches back centuries, with cotton cultivation and textile production forming essential parts of daily life, ceremony and cultural identity. Across the bustling towns of 19th century Ethiopia, guilds of master weavers, embroiderers and tailors worked under the patronage of religious and political elites to create garments that spoke of rank and power, whereas rural weavers produced cloth for daily use and ritual needs. Spindling was deemed virtuous, and women from across the social spectrum learned to spin. Different ethnic groups across the country developed their own distinctive weaving styles - the Dorze people of the south are renowned for their intricate cotton weaving, whilst the Tigray region in the north has long been celebrated for its fine white cotton shawls with colourful borders. These patterns, built through meticulous thread manipulation, connect contemporary makers to generations of Ethiopian weavers who have transformed simple fibres into objects of beauty and utility.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"Normal tm5\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm7\"\u003eThe Maker.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"tm6\"\u003e \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eSpinners, dyers and weavers work hand-in-hand at Sabahar, a fair trade workshop established in Addis Ababa over 20 years ago. Sabahar is dedicated to the preservation of traditional Ethiopian textile making techniques, whilst providing sustainable livelihoods to hundreds of artisans in Addis Ababa, Arba Minch, and Bahar Dahr. Through innovation in techniques, fibres, and technology, Sabahar creates eco-friendly, fair trade textiles that honour traditional Ethiopian craftsmanship whilst meeting contemporary design needs.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Handmade in Ethiopia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52097344962826,"sku":null,"price":135.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0711\/1013\/1978\/files\/Sabahar_Throw_Natural06.jpg?v=1773495143"},{"product_id":"romanian-vessel-neolithic-motifs-bird","title":"Decorative ceramic vessel · Cucuteni Neolithic motifs · Bird","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAviform ceramic vessel of Neolithic inspiration made by artisans in the southern plains of Romania. Its footed cup form is fitted with a sculpted bird's head and neck rising from one side, and decorated with ancestral geometrical motifs drawn from the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture- one of Europe's earliest painted ceramic traditions. Such vessels are thought to have stood originally at the centre of solar rites and the cult of the Great Goddess, their form and painted imagery closer to devotional language than to ornament. For decorative display.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Craft. \u003c\/strong\u003eThis vessel is shaped by hand, without a potter's wheel, using the traditional coil technique, through which the bird form is built freely, in stages, with the successive addition of clay strips, so the widest point of the vessels can hold its own weight while still soft. The process demands patience, precision, and a deep understanding of the material. Once shaped, each object comes to life through decoration; the surface is painted with ancestral symbols and colour harmonies inspired by the Cucuteni world using \u003cem\u003eangobă\u003c\/em\u003e, a clay slip diluted to a workable consistency, which is the source of the piece's chalky, matte finish. This piece showcases the bird, seen as a messenger between the celestial and terrestrial worlds and the spiral, symbol of the eternal cycle of life and death and regeneration. After the paint has dried, the entire surface is burnished with smooth river stone to allow the pigment to penetrate the clay, and fired in a kiln for about ten hours.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Heritage.\u003c\/strong\u003e Over 6,000 years ago, across a vast area of what is now parts of Romania, Moldova and Ukraine, an astonishing civilization that came to be named Cucuteni-Trypillia flourished for thousands of years before vanishing into the Bronze Age. It left behind some of the largest known Neolithic settlements in Europe, along with a body of painted ceramics unmatched elsewhere on the continent; the complex polychrome decorations – spirals, solar and lunar symbols, snakes, stylised human figures and crosses – were not merely aesthetic elements, but coded symbols of their beliefs, myths, and cosmic structure expressed in ritual practices of sacralisation and purification that such objects were part of. The Cucuteni-Trypillia civilization is now in the process of obtaining UNESCO World Heritage recognition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Maker.\u003c\/strong\u003e From their home workshop in southern Romania, Nicoleta and Ion Mitroi work with dedication towards the revival of a ceramics style lost in history. A trained engineer, Nicoleta changed course when she first encountered Cucuteni-Trypillia pottery in a museum and fell under the spell of its raw beauty and symbolic charge. Her husband Ion, a graduate of the ceramics department at the National University of Arts in Bucharest, also embraced the style, and together they have been shaping, now for decades, personal interpretations or replicas of excavated vessels. Beyond the workshop, they run summer workshops and traditional-craft circles in museums and schools.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Handmade in Romania","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53779466649866,"sku":null,"price":85.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0711\/1013\/1978\/files\/MITROICucuteniAviformClayVessel01.jpg?v=1789981486"}],"url":"https:\/\/omagoshop.eu\/collections\/in-focus.oembed","provider":"OMAĜO","version":"1.0","type":"link"}