On the seventh* (blogging) day of Christmas... Vanja Bazdulj cups

This weekend in south London the HQ of Cavaliero Finn, dealers in well-curated yet affordable art and art-driven homewares, threw open their doors to host a festive open house/festive shop. 

I was gutted not to be able to make it, but was out of town at two massive car boot sales out of town (more of which to come) and didn't get back in time, alas. Next best thing, I thought, would be to pick my favourite gift-size artwork from the CF stable to share with you. I'll have to have that mince pie and glass of fizz later, and imagine I was there...

Vanja Bazdulj Naive mug, £25, from Cavaliero Finn

These very unusual clay cups are the work of architecturally-trained designer, Vanja Bazdulj. And her Naive Tableware set, as it is called, has an early 1950s thing going on, don't you think?

I can picture these texturally interesting, simply shaped mugs on the sideboard at the home of, say, DD and Leslie Tillett, or round at Barbara Hepworth's studio. However, east London-based Vanja says her ceramics are inspired largely by the graffiti she observes in her area.

"Simple forms are highlighted by exposing raw materials, their irregularities and patinas," say Cavaliero Finn of Vanja's work, "providing amazing textures, a transparency of working process and an honesty to the finished pieces."
We like.

Want to see more of what Cavaliero Finn have to offer? I have also covered Alice Mara's special synchronised swimmer-adored ceramics and her urban architecture vases. I also love Richard Brendon's spectacular monochrome striped cups and saucers  – though these are not cheap at around £80. But see his pieces as art, and the price gains a different context. (Though if you're after everyday stripey cups, try this enamel version from Future & Found for £6, which I spotted on the excellent Daisy Fay Interiors blog – check it out for more gift inspiration, the girl has fine taste.)

* Oh, and yes – and of course it is the ninth today, not the seventh. But we're only on gift number seven in this guide because I don't post at weekends and didn't want to cut short the list. So I hope you'll bear with me while I entirely ignore the date.

Post by Kate