Alderton Ceramic Jar

Not waterproof. This is for dried and faux stems, or for nothing at all.

It will not hold water. The ceramic is not sealed for liquid, so fresh flowers are not an option. That is worth knowing before you order rather than after, and it is why we call it a jar rather than a vase.

What it does take is dried stems, faux foliage, pampas, or grasses. Anything that does not need water, which is a larger category than people expect.

As tall as it is wide, which gives it a squat, grounded proportion. That suits a shelf or a mantel where a tall narrow vessel would look precarious.

Stem length. For a 20cm jar, aim for around 30cm of stem showing above the rim, which is roughly one and a half times the height.

The crazing in the glaze is the whole character of the piece.

Fine crackle lines run across the entire surface, catching darker where the glaze has settled into them. That is a crackle glaze, a deliberate effect achieved by the glaze and the clay body shrinking at different rates as they cool, and it is one of the oldest decorative techniques in ceramics.

It is also why the piece reads as aged. A smooth, even glaze looks new whatever shape it is on; a crazed one looks like it has been in a kitchen for fifty years, which is a considerably more interesting thing to have on a shelf.

The two small lug handles at the shoulder reference a storage jar, something that was made to be lifted and carried rather than looked at. They are decorative here, but the reference is what gives the form its character.

The rolled rim is the third detail, thickened and turned outward rather than cut flat, which finishes the opening properly and adds weight to the silhouette at the top.

Cream rather than white, with a warm cast and small dark inclusions scattered through the glaze, so it sits against timber and linen rather than against a white bathroom suite.

• A crackle glaze, crazed across the whole surface so it reads as aged
• Two lug handles, referencing a storage jar rather than a vase
• A rolled rim, thickened and turned rather than cut flat
• Squat proportion, as tall as it is wide and grounded on a shelf
• Warm cream with dark inclusions, rather than a flat white
• Works empty, which is how a decorative jar spends most of its life
• Takes dried and faux stems, so it looks intentional year round
• No two alike, since crazing forms differently on every piece

The first option and often the best. A jar with this much character in the glaze and the handles holds a shelf on its own, and the rolled rim and rounded body are what you are looking at rather than whatever is in it.

Not a full bunch. A squat jar wants a sparse arrangement, a few stems of dried grass or faux foliage leaning out rather than a dense mass standing upright.

Small round objects look best in company. Two or three vessels at different heights on a shelf or a console, with this as the low, wide one.

A cream piece against a pale wall needs contrast from its neighbours rather than its background. A dark glazed vessel or a timber object beside it does that job.

Crazing is made of fine lines catching light. A lamp nearby reveals the whole surface pattern where overhead light flattens it completely.

Do not put water in it. The most important line on this page. The ceramic is not sealed for liquid, so water will work through and mark whatever the jar is standing on.

Hand wash only, and lightly. A damp cloth on the outside, dried straight after. Do not submerge it or run water into the interior.

Crazing will develop further. Crackle glaze continues to craze very slowly over years, and existing lines may darken as they pick up dust. That is the glaze behaving as intended rather than deteriorating.

Nothing abrasive. A crazed surface has microscopic fissures, and scouring will drive dirt into them rather than lifting it out.

Use a mat on a polished surface. A ceramic base will mark timber if the jar is slid rather than lifted.

What to expect. The crazing pattern is different on every piece, and the dark inclusions in the glaze fall where they fall. Yours will not match the photograph exactly.

It ships packed for ceramic. Current timescales and charges are set out on our delivery page.

Not sure what to put in it, or whether it suits the shelf you have in mind? Ask us. Reach us via our contact page or live chat.

If it is not right, our returns process is straightforward, and everything is covered by our guarantees and warranties.

Our price match promise stands if you find the same piece for less elsewhere. Styling a holiday let or a showhome? Ask about trade accounts.