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Our butik offers two broad types of vintage ceramics: those designed for everyday household use, and those intended purely for decorative display.
Most of our pieces were crafted from feldspar porcelain, flintware, stoneware, or earthenware — each with distinct firing temperatures and clay compositions that determine their durability and character.
(For commercial reference, our inventory is classified under Harmonization System codes 6911, 6912, & 6913.)
Before the 1970s, many potteries and porcelain manufacturers — including Rörstrand, Arabia Finland, Upsala-Ekeby, and Gustavsberg — used paints and glazes that contained trace amounts of lead.
Vintage pieces from this era whose surfaces remain intact are still regarded as food-safe for occasional use. However, items showing heavy crazing, cracks, or flaked surfaces should be reserved for decorative enjoyment rather than use as part of a dining service.
Vintage ceramics are especially sensitive to sudden temperature changes. To prevent stress fractures or crazing, allow pieces to adjust gradually when moving them between hot and cold environments.
Even when service items are backstamped as oven- or dishwasher-safe, we recommend hand-washing such pieces with mild, non-abrasive cleansers. Prolonged soaks or machine washing risks dulling their delicate glazes and compromising fine details.
Purely decorative objects and collectibles require little more than occasional dusting with a lint-free chamois.
Most of our packing materials — textured and corrugated kraft wraps, honeycomb papers, and raffia — are fully recyclable or compostable. Please dispose of any remaining stabilizers and fillers from our shipments responsibly — or repurpose them for your own future use. Please be sure to keep all packing materials away from small children and housepets.
If a ceramic item is broken beyond repair, please wrap any sharp fragments securely before disposal to safeguard against injury. Whenever possible, consider creative reuse, such as incorporating shards into a mosaic or garden path.
Each object we offer has a special story to tell — a unique provenance that separates it from similar pieces and makes it worth preserving.
When you’re ready to part with a vintage purchase from our butik, please consider gifting it to someone who will treasure it and ensure that its history continues. Or follow our example by reselling it and donating the proceeds to a charitable cause that is meaningful to you.
Mindful collecting is its own form of conservation.
