Some things pop to mind when you think of Portugal – sunny weather, Port wine and an unwinding surf coast. But did you know Portugal is also known as ceramic paradise? That’s where our Patty pothead is born. We’d like to bring you on a little journey with us on how Portuguese ceramics made a name for themselves and how much work is put into our artisanal everyday objects.
A Brief History on Portuguese Ceramic
With its abundance of clay deposits, the Portuguese have been making earthenware since neolithic times. Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro along with a small team of artisans succeeded in making decorative ceramics an art form in Portugal, boosting the country’s ceramic reputation. Today, Portugese pottery still stays true to Rafael’s principles to combine artistic quality with industrial production.
The Pottery Process
When it comes to producing ceramics in Portugal, it is mainly family-run business where most processes are done by hand. Take our Patty pothead for example, first raw clay is mixed with water and oxide substances to form a liquid clay. The clay is then poured into the moulds and then hand-trimmed from any excess. Once dry, Patty is off to the kiln for firing at 1,830 degrees celcius and then glazed to make him more resistant. After that he goes back into the kiln to remain for around 12-18 hours before he comes out ready to be packaged for your green friends!
Our ceramics from Portugal
In the age of mass shopping and factories, we often overlook how our possessions are made. Portuguese ceramics are practically artisanal and Plant Potheads is proud to be a part of the exquisite and beautiful world of Portuguese pottery.
We work with responsible suppliers to ensure materials are sourced locally. Check out our Patty plant pot made right in the heart of Portugal’s ceramic paradise. He makes a great kitchen buddy to your herbs or a home for your favourite houseplant.
We hope you enjoyed a little story on how ceramics in Portugal came to be and to find out a bit more on where our plant pots come from. You can read more about what Plant Potheads is about here.
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