Cracked Crockery by Ornamented Life

We're always taken with old, broken things re-purposed as artworks, especially when their practical use has been restored. Danish designer Ornamented Life gives these dishes (spotted on Oh Joy!) a beautiful fresh start, filling in cracks and chips with 24K gold and applying hand-made enamel floral transfers. The flowers look as if they're growing out of the cracks, like sidewalk weeds. More after the jump...

Each of these dishes is one-of-a-kind; the designs extend to the backs of the plates and the insides of cups and teapots. We're not totally convinced that it's safe to drink out of chipped cups, gilded or no, but at least the gold calls attention to the chips, so you can avoid them? Clearly we're making excuses because these are so lovely.

Tea cups and saucers $38, plates $64, and an adorable sugar and cream set is $75. Available from Horne.

(Via Oh Joy!)

Comments (11)

perfect timing...just when we should all be celebrating (and using) things that have a little wear around the edges, but save a lot of dough...love it

love, also, the apartment therapy shoot for swissmiss and ella...as well as bb-blog's excitement over it! so much so that we've put up a little post at artbookschildren

go ella!

posted by victoriathorne on March 9th 2009 at 8:58pm
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Love it!!!! you would never think that the plates were chipped!!

posted by mariachigirl126 on March 9th 2009 at 9:37pm
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actually, the Freer Gallery in Washington, D.C. has an exhibition on the centuries-old Japanese art of mending broken ceramics using gold. wonder if this firm was inspired by the japanese art? since late 15th century, chips or cracks have been mended using a lacquer resin and gold dust. the craft is done so exquisitely that the repair is thought to enhance the piece (usually a tea bowl or something precious that is worth the cost of this highly specialized -- and artistic -- repair. normal people don't do it! but tea masters and wealthy people do -- and it's appreciated throughout the culture as something that adds refinement.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/02/AR2009030202723.html

posted by ocha on March 9th 2009 at 11:22pm
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Really lovely. I wish these would fit in with my very modern and heavily stainless steel and silver toned decor. I want!

posted by ftpansy on March 10th 2009 at 12:19am
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oh oh oh... I want I want

posted by Maroha on March 10th 2009 at 1:04am
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But they look so new, apart from the chips.... surely not... deliberately chipped?

posted by RedOrangePink on March 10th 2009 at 4:44am
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Yet another 'emperor's new clothes' idea. The shape of the cup is ugly too. I suppose if you had some beloved chipped stuff you could copy the idea ... but pay for it?

posted by hrhprincessfiona on March 10th 2009 at 8:58am
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That Freer Gallery exhibition looks amazing -- I want to learn this technique! (Not in love with these dishes, and certainly wouldn't be willing to pay the asking price, though.)

posted by SherryBinNH on March 10th 2009 at 9:24am
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This is such a great idea! I've been using my chipped tea cups as tea light holders, but to be able to use them as cups again is just so exciting! Now to figure out how to do something similar myself...

posted by ahickman on March 10th 2009 at 9:43am
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ftpansy--
what you love DOES fit in your home! Contrast is beautiful!
don't let your (I'm sure lovely) modern stainless kitchen
dictate all future kitchenware purchases!
Make that kitchen your b*tch!

posted by baba yaga on March 10th 2009 at 8:20pm
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You could use silver, instead of gold, to compliment a stainless kitchen?

I sort of love this design, but would only mend things I find or love.

posted by JosieDaisy on March 11th 2009 at 1:18am
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