Handcrafted sustainable dinnerware from Portugal

Born in 2019, The Kiln Company, started as a dream of two friends to reinvent a very Portuguese tradition and craft, refreshing it to make it more minimal and appeal to a new generation, making sure this art would stay alive for many more years – The Black Clay Ceramic Art.

Portuguese black ceramic is an ancestral craft from the north of Portugal that uses a unique technique to turn the clay completely black without using any color pigment.

The unique tonality of Portuguesa Black Clay is the result of a technique whereby all oxygen is extracted from the Kiln at the final stage of the cooking process. Creating a beautifuly textured black clay without the use of a single chemical. Making it oven, stove, microwave and washing machine resistant.

For generations families have passed on this knowledge, keeping the tradition alive.
Unfortunately, the rising number of young people leaving rural areas is making this art form being forgotten, only a few black clay potter remain. To make worst, the over industrialization of ceramics by the big players is making it nearly impossible for the artisans to maintain their way of live.