Bison at Collect

Hey there,
Penny here. As you can see, the girls at Collect love their stock, and I'm no exception! We currently have some fabulous Bison pieces available. Bison is an ACT based ceramics business. All their pieces are hand thrown and hand glazed. This means each piece is quite unique, in shape and colour. Despite this, they are super durable, both dishwasher and microwave safe.

There is a great range of objects to choose from, including mugs, egg cups, bowls and vases. Not to forget the quintessential milk jug!

I had a friend from Canada visit the store who commented; "Hey! Why are there Buffalo stamped on the pieces?" Of course she was referring to the Bison logo, however this did get me thinking, why are they called Bison?

After some investigation, I had my question answered. Inspired by the ancient tradition of painting onto stone, Bison's creator Brian Tunks became fascinated by ceramics whilst on historical excavations. Clear connections can be seen between Tunks' original training, in archaeology and the aesthetics of his work. Simple, functional and beautiful, the pieces have smooth semi-gloss glazes, leaving the user with a fantastic textural quality when holding the piece. The pieces are designed to survive a lifetime with you, and embody an ageless quality much like their ancient inspiration.

One of the nicest things about Bison wares is their simplicity. Produced in a small factory just outside Canberra, there is no excessive adornment. The pieces are soft colours, have beautiful textures and (I think) most importantly, are great forms to hold and use on a daily basis. You can feel that they have been hand thrown.

Most makers will agree, an object that is hand made has an extra quality about it. It’s something that manufacturers have difficulty replicating. It's the softness of surface, the bumps and lumps, subtle differences in texture, colour, and form. It’s why makers MAKE. Most have an inherent obsession with material investigation. Bison have experimented and explored clay for many years, and their success is evident in their collection of wares.

Bison have stockists and stores in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. Visit http://www.bisonhome.com/ for more info about Bison or pop into Collect to purchase from our current selection!