The Pot

A frosted pot, carved from one block

A rounded, open-topped alabaster pot, wider through the belly than at the mouth. Each one is carved from a single block of Egyptian alabaster in Luxor. Nothing is cast or moulded, so the wall thickness wanders a little and the rim is never a perfect circle.

The surface is frosted rather than polished. Unlit, it reads clouded and matte, close to unglazed porcelain. Put a candle inside and the frosting scatters the light, so the whole wall glows as a soft, even amber wash instead of showing hard bands of veining. It is a quieter light than a polished piece gives. Some people prefer it.

The stone is calcite, formed in layers where water once moved through limestone caves. Geologists call it banded travertine. It is soft, about 3 on the Mohs scale, and translucent enough for a flame to show through a wall the thickness of a thumb.

Sizes

All widths are estimates taken from a reference photograph, not measured. Every block is different, so expect some variation.

• XS, around 8 cm across. A tealight.
• S, around 10 cm. A tealight or small votive.
• M, around 12 cm. A short pillar candle fits.
• L, around 15 cm. Candle or vase.
• XL, around 20 cm. Big enough for a bowl of keys or a fat pillar. Visibly four times the smallest.

Specifications

• Material: Egyptian alabaster (calcite), hand-carved from one solid block
• Finish: frosted, matte
• Shape: open top, slightly barrel-shaped, widest at the middle
• Base: none. Sits directly on the surface
• Electrics: none
• Candle: not included
• Colour, veining and translucency vary block to block. No two alike

Where it comes from

Carved in Luxor, Upper Egypt. Most of the workshops sit on the west bank of the Nile, close to the tombs the stone was first cut for. The quarries have been worked since antiquity, some of them as far back as the Predynastic period.

Stock is held in Amsterdam and posted from there. Inside the EU that means days, not weeks, and no customs charge.

Care

Wipe with a soft dry cloth. Keep it away from standing water. No acidic or abrasive cleaners; the stone is calcium-based and acid etches it.