It started with one word: JOY
Ark & Cinder began at a kitchen table with a bag of clay and a simple idea — to make a candle holder that said something. The first one spelled JOY. A friend asked for one with her daughter's name. Then her neighbour asked. Then their neighbours did too.
Today we still make everything the same way: by hand, one piece at a time, in small batches. Our pieces aren't perfect in the factory sense. You'll find a thumbprint in the glaze, a letter that leans with personality, a pool of colour that gathered where it wanted to. That's the point.
We named the studio for two things we love. An ark carries what's precious. A cinder keeps glowing long after the fire. We hope every piece we make does both.
— the Ark & Cinder studio
The life of a piece
Each order takes about two to three weeks, because clay can't be rushed. Here's what happens in between.
Wedge & roll
We knead the clay to remove air bubbles, then roll it into smooth, even slabs.
Cut & sculpt
Letters are hand-cut, leaves are pressed and carved, and your name or initials are added.
Slow drying
Pieces rest under cloth for several days so they dry evenly and don't crack.
Bisque fire
The first firing turns soft clay into hard, porous ceramic ready to drink in glaze.
Glaze by hand
We brush and dip layers of colour — sage, coral, amber, ocean — and wipe the details clean.
Glaze fire
In the second firing the glaze melts into glass, pooling into the textures you see.
Colour, texture & meaning
Colour makes a home happier. We love glazes that glow — soft pastels, juicy corals, deep forest greens — and the way they change as candlelight moves across them.
Texture tells you it's real. Leaves you can feel, carved borders, little dimples in the glaze. Handmade should look handmade.
Meaning makes it last. A bowl is nice. A bowl with your initials underneath, given on your wedding day, is something you keep forever.
Explore the collection“We don't make things to fill shelves. We make things to fill homes — with names, with light, with a little bit of joy.” Ark & Cinder