Forget-Me-Not Jewelry Holder, Ceramic Dish
As implied by their name, forget-me-nots are a sweet symbol of true love, fidelity, and remembrance. They are a lovely symbol of love across distance, and love across time. Forget-me-nots have also become a lovely symbol for cancer survivors.
Unlike most of my pieces, I actually didn't use any real flowers to create this piece. I wanted a storybook feel of flowers floating by in different sizes, so I sculpted tiny flowers in different sizes and then used them to create the imprints on the dish. Each flower is pressed individually from a handmade flower sculpture.
This ceramic dish is made from smooth porcelain-like stoneware clay, dried, bisque fired, glazed, and high-fired once more at approximately 2200 degrees Fahrenheit. The flowers are imprinted from tiny flower sculptures I create, and the dish is then handpainted with shades of blue and purple and pink underglazes. The glaze is a glossy soft clear.
Real gold is applied to the rim and among the flowers, and the piece is fired a third time to bond the gold. It's a labor intensive process but gives this magical, fairytale garden result.
Measurements: Approximately 5 inches wide
Slight variations and organic shapes in handcrafted ceramics are what make them perfectly unique pieces of art. Please allow variation in the colors and patterning, as each is made completely individually