Ceramic vase

The idea for this brown vase with bird motifs comes from the deep similarities between clay and bread — in their physical properties and in their cultural weight. Every culture has its own history of ceramics; across the globe people intuitively discovered how to shape and fire raw earth. Baking is just as universal, from the flat tortilla to the ceremonial round karavai.

Both demand a tactile, grounding relationship. Clay asks for the same kneading, rolling and shaping as dough, and it feels alive in the hands much like an active sourdough starter. Both share a lifecycle: worked by hand, placed in an oven or kiln, and transformed by fire into their final form.

The ornament is inspired by teterki — a ritual bread of the Russian North. Made from a plain dough of flour, salt and water, these coiled ornaments were sculpted to celebrate the arrival of spring; families decorated their homes with them before eating them as crisp snacks. Teterki designs range from ancient pagan geometries to woodland creatures. I chose birds, traditionally revered as the messengers of spring.

Here the bird ornaments are formed from hand-rolled clay coils instead of dough, making the folk tradition permanent in a functional object. The dark brown glaze was chosen to recall the warm, rustic look of traditional Russian rye bread — a tribute to the shared history of human touch, nourishment and creative labour.