Making Of: Our Juicy Basket Collection
Step into the studio and see how the weavers craft these incredible glazed baskets from clay
We're lucky enough to have found one of the very few traditional ceramic weaving studios left in Europe...
At Late Afternoon, we work hard to source and design homewares rooted in craft and tradition, but always updated for homes in the here and now. So imagine our delight when we stumbled (completely by accident...) across the women that weave our Juicy Basket Collection...
The making process is utterly mesmerising. From preparing the ribbons of clay using a very satisfying extruding press, to watching the light touch weaving of this delicate, soft clay.
Read on to see how the pieces come to life in the gentle hands of the skills team.
Woven from scratch using ribbons of soft clay
Resting the ribbons of clay on a round support that reflect the shape of the basket, the weaver begins to lace together the strands.
As the ribbons are round (which gives the finished piece that juicy look) the weaver must be very delicate to prevent the shape from being crushed.
The shape is finished with a base and a rim, deftly shaped and finished by hand.
After being left to 'leather dry' for a couple of days, the pieces are fired once before being glazed in our signature colours. They are then fired a second time and packed into specially-created boxes to protect them for their journey.
Weaving the ribbons of clay
A gentle touch is required to keep the ribbons intact.
Adding the rim around the top of the basket
The rim is worked into the base with deft hands
The finished piece is left to dry before first firing in the kiln
The once-fired piece will then be glazed and fired again, completing a process that takes several days.
Strikingly Contemporary Pieces Born From Time-Honoured Tradition
Glossy and almost juicy looking (hence their name), these pieces are real scroll-stoppers.
They are so fresh and contemporary, despite their heritage, proving that these traditional skills are just as relevant as they have always been.
The collection completely represents the people and production values lying at the heart of the Late Afternoon ethos. We're so proud to bring these pieces to you and spotlight the incredible artisans that make these unique vessels.
