A Ceremonial Moonpot

A vessel or an urn — roughly 5.5" across and nearly 6" tall, standing on three short feet that lift its clean silhouette just off the tabletop.

Made of dark brown stoneware, this moonpot is water-carved with a pattern like a topographical map rendered in clay — each contour line etched separately, then carefully masked before the next layer is washed away, tracing landmasses the way elevation lines trace a mountain's rise. Three regions emerge from the surface, the mossy, opaque satin glaze pooling between them like a body of water finding its way through the valleys. In one place, the clay was left proud and uncarved — a small island glimpsed as if from low altitude, still dry above the waterline. The seated lid carries the same water-etched terrain, continuing unbroken across its dome. Open it, and the inside glows a pale teal blue — a small hidden sky, or sea, depending on what you're looking for.

Perfect for holding intentions, or the ashes of a dear one remembered.

If you'd like to order a set of unique vessels for sharing a loved one's ashes, I'd be glad to help — including working with you on specific colors to suit what you're holding.

Hand-built using the traditional Yixing method — paddle and pottery compass, not thrown on the wheel — this piece sits at the crossing of Chinese slab-building tradition and a Craftsman sensibility. All glazes are my own studio recipes, mixed from raw dry materials and carefully tested to fit this stoneware body.