This is Ella. She's a uniquely handbuilt stoneware monsterpot with a lid for a head, and she'd rather watch you for a while before deciding what she thinks of you. Quieter than her littermates, but missing nothing.

This sturdy, tri-footed pot wears an extravagant hairstreak glaze — teal and turquoise breaking over deep green in unpredictable currents, pooling thick in some places and thinning to a pale mineral bloom in others, no two square inches quite alike. It's the kind of glaze result that doesn't repeat itself twice, which makes her coat as much a one-off as her expression. Lift the lid at her mouth and her lower teeth stay behind, ringing her jaw. Her yellow and white matte buttons dot her sides and give your hand a sure grip when lifting that lid. Interior glazed clear, food-grade safe, ready for whatever you trust her with.

Good for pet treats, spare coins, keepsakes, secrets — and yes, butter, since her lid seats snugly enough to keep it fresh. She also makes a tender keepsake vessel for the ashes of a beloved furry family member — the kind who sat quietly in the corner of every room, and somehow always knew exactly what was going on anyway.

Ella isn't shy so much as careful. She takes her time with people. Once she's decided you're worth the trouble, though, she doesn't forget it.

Standard 101 Buff Stoneware, fired to Cone 6. All glazes home-mixed and tested in Kest Pottery Studio.

#410

Hand wash please, and mind the teeth.