A Beginner’s Guide to Scoring One-of-a-Kind Local Pottery

A delightful spread on Jill Rosenwald’s “Pripet Smorgasbord” tray. / Photo by Somerby Jones

For Trays and Vases
Jill Rosenwald

You can spot an original Jill Rosenwald from across any room: All pieces feature a luxurious yet understated 14-karat-gold rim, not to mention punchy colors that look as at home in a contemporary Seaport condo as they do in a Nantucket beach house. A swoon-worthy Mother’s Day present or host gift, Rosenwald’s elongated trays and large vessels are particularly desirable, lending a sense of scale to her handpainted designs.

369 Congress St., Boston, 617-422-0787, jillrosenwald.com.

For Lamps
Lawrence McRae

Have a bedside table or a credenza that needs sprucing up? Consider phoning this Fort Point artist’s studio to place a custom lamp order. With more than 50 colors to choose from, McRae’s “pierced form” cutout style is his calling card, including pieces that range from mod and geometric to straight-up whimsical.

369 Congress St., Boston, 617-422-0787, lawrencemcrae.com.

Cups from Jeremy Ogusky’s studio. / Photo by Elizabeth Laduca

For Everyday Dishes
Jeremy Ogusky

Before opening his studio in Jamaica Plain, Jeremy Ogusky spent 10 years working as a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa, a public health professor in South America, and an activist in Washington, DC. Today, he finds fulfillment making “beautiful and useful objects” for the Boston community. Both dishwasher and microwave safe, Ogusky’s unpretentious stoneware is durable enough to be used every day. Score entire sets of plates, bowls, and mugs through his online Etsy shop, or visit his website to get in touch about personalized commissions.

95 St. Rose St., Jamaica Plain, 248-219-8779, claycrocks.com.

For Entertaining
Dave Becker

Chef Dave Becker’s pottery has become something of a collector’s item in recent years—impossibly cool with its wabi-sabi unevenness (“Nobody wants the pottery their grandmother had,” he says), and nearly impossible to find unless you were dining on it at a handful of local restaurants. This spring, however, Becker will be selling a few of his coveted pieces at Gourmet Pottery, a Waltham retailer that stocks crafts and ceramics from around the world—so stock up on those special-­occasion-level serving plates and side dishes while you can.

Available at Gourmet Pottery, 365 Moody St., Waltham, 781-642-1212.

Hideaki Miyamura’s yellow crystalline glazed “bottle,” available at Pucker Gallery. / Photo by John Davenport

For Statement Pieces
Hideaki Miyamura

Born and trained in Japan and currently based in New Hampshire, Hideaki Miyamura is one of the most exceptional ceramic artists working today, with pieces in a number of major museum collections around the world. Elegant, disarmingly simple forms come to life with iridescent glaze work emulating natural phenomena, from crystal formations to starry nights to the ebb and flow of ocean waves. Find his latest batch this month at Pucker Gallery.

240 Newbury St., Boston, 617-267-947, puckergallery.com.