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| Mexican Pottery Sink at The Refuge at Wit's End |
One of the interesting things about eBay is that it makes you remember things you had forgotten. After looking at handbags, pizza ovens, buffalo turquoise rings and Russian paintings, I thought of the beautiful hand-painted Mexican pottery sink in the kitchen of The Refuge at Wit's End in Abilene, Texas. I continue to lust after that sink and repeatedly kick myself for not buying one similar to it when we were at Market Square in San Antonio shortly before moving to Florida. At the time it seemed foolish to spend money on a sink when I didn't have a place that needed one but to be honest, that was just lack of vision and Yankee frugality.
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| Talavera Mexican Pottery |
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| Deruta Pottery |
The search for hand-painted sinks led me to looking at Mexican and then Italian pottery. We have two dishes from Dertua that came from my cleaning days for West Lake Beach Dave back in Austin. They are lovely and look even better with cake on them. Deruta made me think of Vietri. Both towns are centers for painted pottery in Italy, and I visited Vietri with my friends the Wilsons when they were living outside of Naples. Vietri produces pottery for companies all over the world-Williams Sonoma for example-but they also have created a great marketing tool for restaurants in their country. In many establishments you can order the house specialty and it will either be served on a commemorative plate/bowl or you can purchase the dish separately. What a clever souvenir and indeed the plates are quite collectible.
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| Damariscotta Pottery |
Seeing all this hand-painted pottery then made me think of my life in Maine when I worked at Praxis, a fine craft cooperative, and sought out pieces here and there from many of the state's talented potters. Remembering of Praxis reminded me of my year working in Damariscotta at Two Fish and being introduced to Rhonda at Damariscotta Pottery.
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| Vietri Pottery |
Thinking it would be fun to have some pieces of Vietri and Damariscotta pottery in our cupboards, I made a practice of checking eBay weekly for pieces to come up for auction. It turns out that people are buying and selling both brands at hefty prices far beyond my budget. Frankly, I was surprised to see Damariscotta pottery even listed, for despite its being known nationwide, in part because Barbara Bush ordered a set of dinnerware when her husband was president, it's still pretty much a tiny potter's studio with no mail-order or website. As with the Vietri commemorative plates, you have to visit the place to leave with those special items which is what makes what happened next so odd.
I had been on my eBay pottery patrol for several weeks when I stopped at the Goodwill store on Cortez. It's a great thrift store in a neighborhood that is a little bit ghetto, a little bit barrio, a little bit assisted living. I had dropped off a donation of clothes and was doing a quick scan of the shelves when a little hand-painted pitcher caught my eye. The pink, blue and white floral design seemed very familiar.
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It couldn't be, I thought to myself, but picking up the creamer and turning it over, there on the bottom stamped into the clay was Damariscotta Pottery. Well blow me down. It looked to be piece probably from the late 80s early 90s when the glazes were light and the flowers very abstract. The price tag was 99 cents. Too right I was having it. On the off chance that there were more Dam Pots nearby, I moved carefully down the aisle. That's when another familiar decoration on a plate caught my eye. Picking it up, I giggled almost hysterically to myself. It wasn't Damariscotta Pottery but it was a commemorative plate made by Vietri. The restaurant is The 12 Apostles in Verona, Italy, and the chef's specialty was a veal creation. It was $1.99. After carefully checking to see if the shelves would give up any more treasures, I marched my treasures up to the cash register giddy as a school girl. Who would believe it! Each time I open the cupboard door now I have to smile.I don't know why it tastes better to have my milk poured from a Dam Pots creamer, but it does. I don't know why I reach for the 12 Apostoli to put my toast on, but I do. And I don't know why a little thrift shop in a small city in Florida has pottery from across the country and across the globe, but I'm certainly glad it does.
If you have the time, have a look at these links, especially the video for the 12 Apostoli restaurant which is quite beautiful. If you find yourself in Damariscotta, Maine, take a walk up the little side street past Reny's andThe King Eider Pub. Cross the parking lot and go down behind the big gray building that is home to Weatherbird and some art studios. Tucked underneath you will find Damariscotta Pottery.
Ristorante 12 Apostoli
Commemorative Italian Cuisine Plates
Hand Painted Mexican Ceramic Sinks
Damariscotta Pottery
Talavera Mexican Pottery
Deruta Pottery
Vietri Pottery
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