Pottery gives well because it is used. It is not stored away and remembered once a year. It enters a morning and stays there.
One piece, not a set
A set is a commitment someone else has made on your behalf. A single well chosen cup is an invitation. It also lets the person live with the material before deciding whether they want more of it.
Matching the form to the person
For someone who drinks coffee standing in the kitchen, a straight sided mug with a firm handle. For someone who reads slowly, a rounded form that holds heat longer. For tea, a handleless cup, since the warmth through the wall is part of it.
For a household that hosts, a serving piece rather than a personal one: a plate, a bowl, a pitcher that goes to the middle of the table.
Give the piece they will reach for without thinking.
On the giving
Say where it came from and how it was made. Handmade work carries a story, and the story is part of the gift. If it is stoneware, say so, and mention that it can go in the dishwasher: people treat unfamiliar pottery too carefully otherwise.
A note on wrapping
Pottery does not need much. Paper, a box, and space around it. The object is the decoration.
More pieces, and the studios behind them, on Instagram.
