Flame-Fired Poppy Raku Vase

Nature, wild fire, and alchemy The making process of Raku relies so heavily on live flame and smoke, our eyes are naturally drawn to the raw, dramatic story visible on the clay.

Hand-shaped from a gorgeous white textured clay, this small vase draws inspiration from the delicate, fleeting beauty of wild poppies. I pull each piece red-hot directly from the kiln at nearly 1,000°C. While the ceramic is still glowing, I lay fine strands of natural horsehair and sprinkles of sugar directly onto the molten surface. The hair scorches instantly, burning dark, feather-thin carbon tendrils into the white textured clay, while the sugar caramelises and carbonises into soft, atmospheric speckles. No two marks can ever be forced—it is a true dance between fire, clay, and chance.

A dramatic accent for delicate stems Standing as a petite, striking vessel, this vase is designed to hold a single dried poppy seed pod, a delicate stem of dried lavender, or simply to sit as a sculptural statement on a sunny windowsill. The contrast between the pale, textured clay base and the dark, carbonised horsehair and sugar lines makes it a mesmerising tactile piece you'll want to pick up and turn in your hands again and again.

The Details:

• Material: White textured stoneware clay base.

• Crafting Technique: Traditional Raku firing featuring organic sugar caramelisation and real horsehair carbonisation.

• Size: Small, tactile accent size — approx. 9cm high.

• Made by: Hand-shaped and fire-finished by Nina in Shropshire.

• Display Note: Raku is inherently porous and non-watertight; this piece is designed specifically for dried florals, seed pods, or as a standalone art piece.

• Shipping: Arrives safely in 100% recyclable, gift-ready packaging via Royal Mail Tracked.

One-of-a-kind beauty: Because the sugar and horsehair burn directly into the glowing glaze during the live fire pull, the black carbon trails and caramelised speckles on the white textured clay are entirely unrepeatable. Your vase is a single, unique moment captured in time.

A gentle note on our small-batch process: Because I work in very small, intentional batches, there may be times when an item is out of stock; if so, I will happily hand-craft your piece to order, a slow-made process that typically takes between 6 to 8 weeks from the wheel to the kiln.