An Introduction to Aptware | History, Craft & Artistic Influence
One of the reasons I started Rebecca Udall was my passion for skilled artisan and heritage homeware. Slow and considered manufacturing with high attention to detail, where today’s makers are often descendants of the original founder with the craft passed down between the generations in an area where techniques were born and raised. From textiles woven in northern Italy to Portuguese hand painted ceramics and Murano hand blown glass, our collections are all reflections of heritage artisanship.
Our new Aptware collection is an extension of just this. Heirlooms of tomorrow, discover accent pieces produced by a female artisan in the same small town in France where they have been produced for hundreds of years. They really are a work of art.
Provenance
A short drive away from picturesque Gordes in Provence you will find a small commune called Apt. Here, they are renowned for producing intrinsically marbelised faïence. Aptly named 'Aptware', these ceramics are exclusively made in this small town and have been for centuries. Age-old examples are now sought after antiques.
Heritage
Aptware has been crafted in the heart of Apt for the past 300 years, during this period bespoke commissions were made for royal families across Europe, most notably for the King of France, Louis XVI.
Today’s pieces are made according to techniques from the 18th Century that have been handed down through generations. The traditional style and design used to create Aptware is known as Terre Mêlée. This translates to “mixed earth” and conveys the technique of kneading together different pieces of clay that have been infused with coloured pigments to create incredibly beautiful marble designs.
Craftsmanship
Pascale Mestre is one of the very few makers of true and authentic marbleized faience that is still made in Apt today. Each piece is individually hand made in Pascale’s workshop in Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt, halfway between Apt and Gordes.
After a highly skilled sequence of kneading and sculpting by hand, they are fired in a kiln and glazed in a process that ensures the finest execution of quality and craftsmanship. This timely process ensures that no two pieces are the same, as such, they take on their own unique pattern and are small pieces of art. Highly sought after worldwide, these pieces are true heirlooms of tomorrow.
Design
The instantly recognisable marble patterns that make Aptware so unique are inspired by the mountainous terrain and flowing rivers of the local region. The three timeless colours of our collection took inspiration from the richly coloured soil found in the beautiful landscape of Apt.
Each piece in the collection is an extraordinary addition to the home. Our ceramic bowl can be used as a soap dish or trinket dish, or to use on the table for small garnishes. Whether on a bedside, desk, dresser or sideboard, a vide poche is a decorative organisational tray for use around the home. Our Aptware vases can be displayed as a piece of art or used to arrange seasonal flowers to bring the outside in.
Shop the Aptware Collection Here
