Studio Pottery Dish in Cobalt Blue with Sailboats and Rope Handles

Some studio pieces are clever, and this handled dish is one of them. It is hand thrown in stoneware and dressed in a rich cobalt blue glaze that pools darker where it gathers and softens to a speckled paler blue over the rim. The two handles are the showpiece, each one hand pulled and twisted like rope before being applied, which turns a simple dish into something with real presence and a nod to the seaside.

Inside, three little sailing boats in blue and red bob across a creamy white ground, a charming hand painted touch that fixes the nautical theme without tipping into kitsch. It measures 22cm across the handles by 20cm and stands 9cm tall, a useful and generous size. The unglazed base carries the potter's painted mark, the signature of a real maker at a wheel.

Set it on a kitchen island with fruit, use it to gather keys and post by the door, or let it hold rolled towels in a coastal bathroom. It would make a lovely serving dish for bread or nibbles too, and the handles mean it actually carries well from room to room.

It is in lovely condition throughout, the glaze glossy and intact and the handles sound, with only the small hand made variations that give a piece like this its character.

Handmade coastal pieces sell well throughout the year and make a perfect gift