Pillow Form Ceramic Plate 15-20cm

A serving plate moulded into the shape of a plump cushion, with four soft corners that lift slightly and a shallow dip across the middle. It is a small piece of sculpture that happens to hold food, and it does something useful on a table: the raised corners stop a sauce running off, and the irregular outline breaks up a run of round plates without shouting about it. Offered in a glossy black or a clean white glaze.

Two sizes are made. The 15cm is a side plate, right for bread, olives, a couple of pastries or a single dessert. The 20cm works as a starter or tapas plate, or as a resting place for keys and a watch on a hall table, which is where a fair number of these end up. Both are fully glazed, including the underside edge, so they sit on a wooden surface without scratching it.

The glaze is smooth and non-porous, so oils and strongly coloured sauces wipe away rather than staining, and the ceramic is safe in an oven and a microwave, which means a plate of something can be warmed through on the plate it will be served on. Dishwasher safe on a normal cycle. As with any glazed ceramic, avoid moving it straight from a hot oven onto a cold wet surface.

• Glazed ceramic, black or white
• Small: approximately 15cm (6in) across
• Large: approximately 20cm (8in) across
• Oven and microwave safe; dishwasher safe
• Fully glazed underside edge; non-porous surface
• Raised corners with a shallow central well