Tender’s tea beaker is hand thrown in England from natural red clay dug in England. It is slipped with natural white English clay, and left unslipped and unglazed on the base, to reveal the original character of the mud. The white slip is glazed with coloured metal salts.

Sgraffito beakers are hand-incised before being glazed, picking out the scratches through the slip to the darker red clay as black. This ancient technique was used by the Romans to create frescos. Each piece is engraved entirely by hand, using just a pointed wooden stylus, so is slightly different from the next.

Throwing pots by hand involves drawing the desired form up from a single solid spinning lump of clay. Tender’s Master Potter works the clay directly with his bare hands, so each piece is unique and bears the marks of his fingers and thumbs. Finally, Tender’s ‘Plautus’ face brand is pushed into the base, and the impression is dragged over with natural white slip, creating a contrasting maker’s mark.

Please bear in mind that this hand-made pottery should be washed by hand, and is not suitable for microwaves, ovens, or dishwashers.