the Silt Collection by VW+BS

International design and architecture studio VW+BS has created a collection of tableware pieces, titled Silt. VW+BS has taken an old school material and created new contemporary forms, changing the way in which we perceive them. This time they utilised "purple clay", a material long known in China, out of which the small elaborate teapots used in the serving of black tea were traditionaly made. A very functional European aesthetic was given into forming the material, which resulted in this seven-piece set design. Work was carried out in conjunction with the Taiwanese company Lin’s Ceramics Studio.

The cups, small jug  and bowl are all stackable and the pot lid can be used on all the pieces. The purple clay in this instance is Lin’s Ceramics Studio’s particular brand of Purion ware, which is twice fired over a period of 48 hours in the kiln at a stoneware temperature. Purple clay is prized because of the absorbent qualities of the material, so for this reason the set should never be washed using detergents, but rather with water only, and connoisseurs recommend using each vessel for one blend of tea or coffee.

VW+BS collaborated with creative coffee consultants Dunne Frankowski to create a recipe for the perfect coffee using the Silt collection. The duo researched the qualities of the material devising the best form of preparation when making coffee. During this process, Dunne Frankowski documented a method of heating, steeping and filtering the coffee working with the absorbent qualities of the unglazed purple clay material.