Embrace the Scale of a Handmade Paper Jar

At 51 cm tall this is a floor-standing piece as much as a vase, and its jar-like profile, wide through the body and drawn in at the shoulder, gives it a presence usually reserved for ceramics. It is made of white papier mâché, layered by hand from recycled newspaper, so the piece weighs a fraction of what its size suggests. That matters day to day: a jar this large in stoneware would be awkward to shift, whereas this one lifts with one hand when you are hoovering around it.

Every jar is a handmade piece, which makes each one exclusive and unique with its own shades. The white finish is not uniform under close light; faint variations in the paper show through and give the surface a chalky depth that a sprayed coating never achieves. The design is available in another size, so a pair at two heights standing together makes a considered grouping in a hallway or beside a fireplace.

Filling the Jar and Living With Paper

The interior mouth measures 13 cm, wide enough to take a generous armful of dried stems, pampas grass or bare branches without forcing them, and wide enough to reach a hand inside when arranging. Keep to dried or artificial stems only: papier mâché is porous and water will soften it from the inside, so if fresh flowers are essential, place a separate watertight container within the mouth rather than filling the jar itself.

Dust the surface with a dry soft brush and keep the jar clear of radiators, steam and damp corners. On a floor, stand it where it will not be knocked by a door or a passing chair, since the paper wall dents rather than chips. It is designed to combine with the rest of the collection, so it groups easily with the smaller papier mâché vases and the rattan pieces, holding a corner in the same natural materials palette.