Pressed Leaf Terracotta Bowl

A handmade terracotta bowl shaped from the impression of a large butterbur leaf, made in our workshop in Scotland.

The making. Each bowl begins as a slab of rustic terracotta clay, rolled flat and pressed with a butterbur leaf foraged from our local park. The leaf leaves an impression behind, capturing every vein and the natural outline of the edge. The clay is then cut around the leaf’s shape and gently lifted into a shallow bowl form before being kiln-fired. A white slip and brown glaze are applied across the inside, while the underside is left unglazed so the warm terracotta clay body is visible from below. Because each bowl is built around a real leaf and shaped by hand, the silhouette and edge profile differ on every piece.

How it looks and feels. The brown glazing pools across the interior in earthy tones with subtle variation — darker where it gathered in the deeper veins, lighter across the raised surface. The veining shows as a soft impressed pattern you can run a finger along. The unglazed underside reveals the natural terracotta clay, sandy and matte against the glazed top.

Use it for:

• A centrepiece on a long wooden dining or hallway table
• A fruit bowl on the kitchen counter — apples, pears, or seasonal squash
• Holding pinecones, conkers, or autumn foraged finds in a hallway
• A wedding or housewarming gift for a home with a strong nature thread
• Displayed empty on its own as sculpture — the leaf shape is the design

A considered gift for the person whose home reflects what they bring in from outside — birthdays, housewarmings, or simply because.

Hand wash recommended — avoid soaking or dishwasher. Food safe.

Approximately 38 cm at widest point | Height: 9 cm.