Collection: Myrth

Myrth

“First I think about the characteristics of flowers or plants that the vase is meant to display,” says Abby Smallwood, who founded Myrth Ceramics in Somerville, Massachusetts, with her husband Eric. Abby Smallwood says that given her background in product design, “designing for function” is her philosophical starting point. “Our Bloomist vase was intended for blooming spring branches, so I focused on creating a form that would support a taller floral and fan the branches outward,” she says. “The vase design was based on a favorite design of ours, the Meridian Vase, which features a sunken narrow opening. This works great for branches and flowers that don't have much foliage — the narrow opening collars, or gathers, the stems but also supports a larger vase design, which is great because you don't need a large amount of branches to fill this large vase.” Once those details are worked out, Smallwood can embark on the piece’s production — a practice that becomes meditate with practice and expertise. “Working on the wheel is soothing for me because I'll focus on only what I'm creating, visualizing how the clay is moving through my fingertips when I can't see it, and I’ll almost zone out, shutting out all other distractions of the studio or life for a few minutes,” Smallwood says. “Then, when I emerge from this space, I have this beautiful vase — and that is very satisfying.”