Household Spirit
Wheel-thrown stoneware figure, altered by hand and decorated, then fired. Subtle variations in form, surface and glaze create distinct personalities without fixed roles. Each figure is unique, and the photographs show the individual piece.
This piece features an ice-green glaze with pink hues, vertical stripes and a skirt-like base, with exposed clay in places and subtle facial features.
Height: approx. 15 cm
Part of the Household Spirits series
These wheel-thrown ceramic figures are inspired by the household and land spirits of Slavic mythology, beings believed to inhabit homes, forests and fields. In traditional folklore, spirits such as the Domovoi (guardian of the home), Leshy (spirit of the forest), Polevik (spirit of the field), Rusalka (water spirit) and Bannik (bathhouse spirit) were not distant gods, but woven into everyday life. They helped people make sense of their enviroment and their existance in it. They explained changing seasons, unexpected events, domestic harmony and disorder. They could protect and guide, but they could also misbehave — especially if a household was neglected or chores werent completed.
Each Household Spirit begins as a thrown vessel form. The cylinder is shaped on the wheel and then altered by hand. Decorated with slip, carved, changed, altered. Subtle shifts in proportion and posture create distinct personalities. Some figures carry minimal facial features; others remain undefined, allowing character to emerge through form and surface rather than expression.
Glazes range from layered and textured finishes to muted, earthy washes that echo soil, bark, ash, cloth, water and fire. The clay body remains visible in places, grounding each figure in its origin material — earth shaped, dried and transformed by fire.
In folklore, spirits were recognised through behaviour. They were named according to what they seemed to influence: the home, the harvest, the threshold, the bathhouse, the forest. In the same way, these figures are not assigned fixed roles. Their meaning is shaped by the person who lives with them. One may come to represent protection of a partnership, another the tending of a garden, another the balance of a household, another a reminder to keep things in order.
They are not decorative caricatures of myth. They are contemporary interpretations of domestic forces — present, watchful, occasionally mischievous, and open to interpretation.
Shipping
Orders are dispatched within 5 working days via tracked UK delivery. At present, I ship within the United Kingdom only. Tracking details will be provided once your parcel is on its way.
Returns
Returns are accepted within 14 days of delivery for UK orders. Unless an item is faulty or incorrect, return postage costs are the responsibility of the customer. Items must be returned unused and carefully packaged to prevent damage in transit. Returns damaged due to inadequate packaging may not be eligible for a full refund.