Prominent South African ceramic brand Mervyn Gers Ceramics has teamed up with artist Sarah-Jane Jordaan in 2019 to bring her Travelling Willows Series to life as ceramic plates.

Trained as an architect, Jordaan envisioned the Travelling Willows Series through a series of sketches. “The idea behind this project was to use the iconic willow pattern as a lens to capture various cityscapes from around the world where the willow pattern has made itself at home,” Sarah explains. “ After finalising the designs in 2019, I was eager to take these illustrations a step further by transforming them into tangible ceramic pieces. I was particularly excited about the prospect that these new designs would also travel and find their own homes across the world”.

Initially, the collection featured six city designs: Cape Town, London, Tokyo, Sydney, Amsterdam, and New York Willows. During the COVID-19 lockdown, she expanded the collection to include South African cities like Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Durban Willows as a celebration of her home country. In 2023, Cape Town Willow bowls were added, with the potential for further expansion.

Jordaan chose to collaborate with Mervyn Gers Ceramics due to their commitment to being 100% local, handmade, and ethically produced. The handmade nature of their products gives each plate a distinctive character and narrative, allowing you to curate your culinary experience with designs from the Travelling Willows series.

Following the creation of the plates, they introduced the limited edition Cape Town Willow oval serving platter. Only 300 of these platters will be produced, each one uniquely numbered on the back, making them one-of-a-kind, bespoke pieces to stand out on any table setting. “This exceptional rendition of the willow pattern showcases a meticulously crafted panoramic depiction of Cape Town. The generously sized platter serves multiple purposes and makes for an ideal gift for special occasions,” elaborates Mervyn.

Both Jordaan and Gers believe in the transformative potential of collaboration among local entrepreneurs. They find the shared risk in collaboration captivating and look forward to expanding their partnership.

These unique platters are exclusively available through Mervyn Gers Ceramics. For more details about the Travelling Willow Platters, visit mervyngers.com.

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With whimsical details and a pop of seasonal colour, the Le Creuset Halloween Collection is the perfect addition to the fun and festivities that come with the occasion.

From the alluring, fiery glow of Flame to the mystique of Deep Teal and the hauntingly beautiful Meringue, Le Creuset’s cookware and serveware is bound to inspire conversation and joy around the table.

Keep the spooky spoiling on home ground and welcome guests to a table dressed in colours that are tailor-made for an unforgettable celebration.

Explore the Halloween Collection

Have a frightfully good feast this Halloween, with tricks and treats served in keepsake Le Creuset pieces.

Pumpkin Casserole | R3 399

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Stoneware 350ml Pumpkin Casserole | R449

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Set of 4 Mini Pumpkin, Moon, Owl and Cat Dishes | R719

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Acacia Wood Pumpkin Tray | R829

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12 Cup Halloween Tray | R579

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Pumpkin Spatula | R179

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Small Pumpkin Dish | R199

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Medium Pumpkin Dish | R399

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The Halloween Collection will be available in a selection of Enamelled Cast Iron cookware, Stoneware and Accessories from October 2021, at Le Creuset boutique stores and online at lecreuset.co.za.

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Local brand Sencillo has released a collection of pared-back stoneware.

The brand is a collaboration between chef Oliver Swart and ceramicist Janet Lightbody. The collection features simple, pared-back dishes and bowls designed to complement the food it holds and make an aesthetically pleasing addition to any table setting.

The pieces are available in sets of six, all of which are stackable.

The range consists of three different raised plates (the Main Stage, Starter Stage and Side Stage) and three different bowls (the Wagamama Bowl, Superfly Bowl and Coconut Bowl).

The hero of the range is the Main Stage plate, inspired by the art of cooking on rocks, hence the raised tablet-like shape. The cut-out handles ensure the server presents the dish with both hands to show respect. The Side Stage plate even has three legs – representing the South African potjie.

You can now buy a curated collection of the range via the VISI Shop:

Sencillo Tableware: Set of Six Main Stage Plates

R1 500

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Sencillo Tableware: Set of Six Side Stage Plates

R900

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Sencillo Tableware: Set of Six Side Wagamama Bowls

R1 320

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For more information, follow Sencillo on Instagram.

Looking for more local buys? Take a look at the ‘Endless Summer’ collab between Janet Lightbody and SMTNG GOOD.

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The new Farm Fresh edit from kitchen aficionado’s Le Creuset, inspires cooking with local and seasonal ingredients.

Whether browsing your local farmers market or growing your own produce, sustainability and awareness in the kitchen are key for an eco-friendly lifestyle. Le Creuset’s newest palette draws from nature for its collection, in varying hues of seasonal and fresh produce.

From root vegetables and bulbs to mushroom tones and hues inspired by rivers and lakes, the range offers a wide set of colour variations to suit many decor themes.

Signature Round Casserole in Artichaut

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New 10cm Herb Planter with Tray

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New Lion Head Soup Bowl

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Signature Oval Casserole

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Everyone enjoys the concept of farm-to-table and living more consciously. Invest in durable cookware that is intended to last in order to reduce your carbon footprint.

For more information, visit lecreuset.co.za.

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A contemporary look at traditional forms comes to life in the new line of smaller goods by award-winning Joburg-based design house, Mash.T.

Mash.T Design Studio, founded by Thabisa Mjo, recently launched its first line of ceramics, taking the brand into the world of smaller (and, we predict, hugely collectable) home goods. The colourful Presents From Joburg range of vases, planters, platters, fruit bowls, shakers, side plates, dip bowls and candleholders has been spun, in true Thabisa fashion, in a contemporary language that showcases the designer’s expressive use of colour, pattern and shape.

Presents From Joburg came about at a quiet time for the studio, while operating during the pandemic, and now stands as another testament to Mash.T’s ongoing collaborative approach to design. After initial design work on the range, Mash.T began a partnership with

Cape Town-based ceramic artist Aleri Odendaal, who worked from her home studio during the lockdown. “Most of our communication with Aleri took place on WhatsApp,” says Thabisa. “A similar thing happened with our new Bright Light sculpture, also created during the peak of the lockdown. The beader who worked on the sculpture – Neliswa Sigwela of Qaqambile Bead Studio – told us that working on the Bright Light gave her family the opportunity to see, for the first time, what she actually does!”

Mash.T recently made headlines after the studio’s Tutu 2.0 light, a woven and beaded pendant lampshade inspired by the xibelani skirts worn by Xitsonga women, was acquired by the Louvre Museum in Paris for its permanent collection. The light, which was voted the Most Beautiful Object in South Africa in 2018, has since been installed in restaurants all over the world.

But Thabisa hopes the more affordable ceramic items will open the studio’s offerings to new audiences, who might not be able to acquire her larger pieces just yet, but who still want to own a piece of the Mash.T brand. “Not everyone can get our pendants, even though they might share our values and identify with our design language,” says Thabisa. “So we want to make Mash.T products more accessible. And it’s why Presents From Joburg is launching with items centred around serving tools. We want to foster the idea of community, and of coming together at the end of the day to share a meal. It’s about treasuring the moments spent together around the dinner table.”

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The perfect way to bring peace and serenity to your table, the Olive Branch collection of stoneware is embossed with a refined olive branch motif and finished in a soft matte texture inspired by the sun-drenched fields of Provence.

The collection is made from Le Creuset’s durable stoneware, which blocks moisture absorption to prevent cracking, crazing and rippling. Each piece can be used in the oven, microwave, fridge, or freezer, and is also dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup. 

With distinctive craftsmanship, designed for daily life, Le Creuset’s new Olive Branch collection adds a relaxed elegance to your kitchen. The range includes a 33cm Rectangular Dish with Lid, 26cm Multi Bowl, and 45cm Oval Platter.

The new Le Creuset Olive Branch Collection is available online at lecreuset.co.za with free delivery countrywide, and in selected Le Creuset boutique stores.

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Sea Salt is the latest colourway addition to Le Creuset’s extensive collection of cookware, stoneware and kitchen accessories.

Drawing inspiration from the muted tones of fleur de sel and reminiscent of getaways in quiet coastal towns, Sea Salt features a combination of subtle blue and pale green.

Mix and match this calming hue with other statement colours or use as a uniform colour for your collection. A wide range of Le Creuset’s products are available in Sea Salt, from the Signature Casseroles and skillets to mugs, bowls and cocottes.

For more information and to shop online, visit lecreuset.co.za.

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Portuguese ceramics brand Bordallo Pinheiro and NGO Ecoarts Amazônia have collaborated on a lush botanical collection of functional art that celebrates the Amazon.

Bordallo Pinheiro was founded in 1884 by Portuguese journalist, caricaturist and sculptor Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro. In creating the brand’s distinctive tableware and ornaments, he focused predominantly on flora and fauna, capturing his subject matter in a lively and whimsical way that has garnered a cult following. More than a century on, the highly collectable ceramics continue to be produced with little mechanisation. The traditional techniques, passed down through generations of ceramic artists, allow for the texture, colour and variance of nature – and the handmade.

The brand’s contemporary pieces remain true to its founder’s interests and aesthetic, as evidenced in the Amazônia collection, created in collaboration with Ecoarts Amazônia, a Brazilian NGO. The inspiration for the range came from the book Viagens Philosophicas (“Philosophical Travels”) by Brazilian naturalist Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira, who undertook an extensive journey across the interior of the Amazon Basin in the 18th century to catalogue the agriculture, flora, fauna and inhabitants of the forest. Likewise, Bordallo Pinheiro’s handcrafted collection – including tactile bowls, platters and vessels – evokes the unique textures, colours and shapes of the Amazon rainforest.

A shared goal of the collaboration is to celebrate and preserve environmental, cultural, social and scientific heritage. A portion of proceeds from the Amazônia collection will go to the reforestation of the Amazon’s Mato Grosso area, where Ecoarts Amazônia operates, by planting indigenous fruit trees in the cities, rural areas and indigenous villages of this region.

You can purchase the collectable ceramics online. For more information, visit bordallopinheiro.co.za.

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Le Creuset has added two brand-new colourways to its ever-growing collection, namely Shell Pink and Nectar.

Inspired by the soft and subtle tones of seashells, Shell Pink is a calming blush hue, while Nectar’s warmth embodies the glow of honey and caramel, a rich, amber addition to the brand’s range of colourways.

Shell Pink will be available from 15 February 2020, while Nectar will be available from 17 February, in selected stores and online.

For more information, visit lecreuset.co.za.

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Le Creuset has joined forces with the renowned Star Wars franchise to launch some out-of-this-world cookware.

Porg Pie Bird

Each limited-edition piece draws on elements from favourite characters and the Star Wars theme as a whole. From a Darth Vader Signature Round Casserole and an R2-D2 mini cocotte to a Death Star Trivet and a Han Solo Carbonite Signature Roaster, this fun collection captures the essence of the renowned films through Le Creuset’s signature cookware.

Selected items are available for purchase now, while others such as the Porg Pie Bird and Droid Mini Cocottes are available for pre-order, with delivery taking place in January 2020.

For more information and to pre-order, visit lecreuset.co.za.

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