Monroe Salt Works
Monroe Salt Works produces the finest salt glaze stoneware in the world. It is hard to believe that this stoneware can be so durable while being so beautiful. Our stoneware is lead free, very hard to chip and is safe for the dishwasher, freezer, microwave and oven.
Monroe Salt Works started in 1971. For the past four decades, skilled Artisans have created wonderful shapes and patterns by hand. Monroe Salt Works is recognized throughout North America, Europe and Japan as the worlds preeminent Salt Glaze studio.
  Salt glazing is a technique developed in Germany in the 15th Century. The pottery we make at Monroe Salt Works is the same age old practice. Green (unfired) pottery is loaded into a large, walk in, hard brick Kiln. After loading, the fire begins very slowly. Over the next 20 hours, the fire builds and the temperature reaches 2300 F. Then handfuls of salt are thrown into the roaring blaze. When the salt hits the white hot fire, it is immediately vaporized, the salt vapor combines with the firing pottery to create the pottery‘s unique and distinct glaze. There are always surface and color variations in the pieces from a salt glaze kiln. Some pieces receive large amounts of salt vapor and others little. The color and texture of each piece vary according to where the piece was in the kiln. It is this variation that makes a body of salt glazed pottery so rich and compelling. There are light pots and dark pot and dimpled pots and smooth pots. You can see the mark of the firing on each piece. No two piece are ever alike.
Only sent out are pieces that meet strict parameters of quality. However, within that window of acceptability there is always variation of surface and color. It is this variation that adds richness to the product. Celebrated is the uniqueness for the salt glaze process and keep the technique alive for another 500 years.
To see more details and to add custom framing, click on the image size below each photo.
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