Paris-based ceramicist Cécile Deladier's delicate, hand-formed vases show off the charms of single stems—any flower, really, that you picked a minute ago from the garden.
We love Deladier's work so much that we sent Alexa to France to visit her studio a few months ago. Now that her tiny, one-of-a-kind vases are on offer at Portland, Oregon-based Alder & Co., the big question around here is: which one do we want most?
Above: Says Alexa, "Cécile's pieces begin with clay derived from the earth in the Drôme in southeastern France. She mixes it in an industrial bread mixer. When firing each piece over an open flame, she wears a rubber bodysuit and mask for protection, and must add wood constantly to keep the fire burning strong. When she extracts the pottery at peak temperature, the pieces still glow red from the heat."
Above: A round white and gray vase with five cylinders to hold flower stems, Ceramic Piece No. 2 is 5 inches wide and 4 inches tall; $315 from Alder & Co.
Above: The internal cylinders serve the same practical purpose as a florist's frog; they hold individual stems in place.
Above: A small glazed ivory vase with gray crackles has seven holes for individual stems; the Ceramic Piece No. 7 is $115.
Above: A round, chalk-colored bud vase has one small hole. The Ceramic Piece No. 8 measures 2.5 inches wide by 2 inches tall and is $115.
Above: Blush pink, a tiny round vase with six holes measures 1 inch tall and 2.5 inches wide; Ceramic Piece No. 6 is $115.
Above: Ceramic Piece No. 1 can accommodate a garden's worth of flowers; it has both tall cylinders and small holes and is $315.
Above: Deladier's ceramic pieces, on display in her light-filled studio in Paris.
See more of Deladier's work in:
- 10 Easy Pieces: Ikebana Vases.
- A Ceramicist and an Architect in Paris.
- In the Atelier with Cécile Deladier.
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