French Soaps Savon de Marseille

"I have many childhood holiday memories of Provence, the lavender fields, of Grasse and Marseille, and I'm delighted to have made these soap dishes to complement the iconic Savon de Marseille. 

Each dish takes a couple of weeks to be transformed from a lump of wet clay into the finished article through a process that can’t be rushed; the clay needs to be treated with respect and given time before it moves on to the next part of the making process. 

The clay is rolled into a slab, cut, decorated and moulded, all of which takes 1 or 2 days dependent on how quickly it is drying. It is then left to dry out completely, usually taking about a week. 

The first firing is next with the kiln reaching around 1000°C. Once cooled, glaze can be applied before a second firing at even higher temperatures.

This second firing is magical as the clay body and glazes strengthen and show their colours. I always open the kiln with nervous excitement as I can never be certain what I will be faced with; the same glaze can vary greatly even within the same firing depending on its position in the kiln!

Hoping you enjoy the results."