Preliminary identification
Photo reference
5 uploaded photos
Overview
A whimsical pair of hand-painted, majolica-style ceramic bowls featuring a high-relief border of sculpted green leaves and vibrant, multi-colored butterflies. These charming studio pieces capture the playful, nature-inspired aesthetic popular in high-end boutique decor during the early 1980s.
Story
Hand-painted in 1981, these whimsical bowls were created by an artist named Suky for 'The Very Thing', a legendary, highly curated mail-order catalog and boutique based in Virginia. They represent a moment when high-society home decor embraced joyful, hand-crafted maximalism.
Maker / Origin
The inscription 'Suky 81 for the very thing' points to a custom artist commission for 'The Very Thing', a prestigious boutique and mail-order catalog founded in the late 1970s in Crozet, Virginia. Known for catering to upscale clientele with unique, whimsical, and often exclusive hand-crafted home goods, they frequently commissioned studio potters to create limited runs of decorative tableware.
Condition & Value
Both bowls show overall fine crazing to the glaze, which is typical for this type of low-fire earthenware and glaze formulation. There is minor shelf wear on the unglazed foot rims, but the delicate raised butterfly wings appear intact without major chips or repairs.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Build on this identification
Layer in sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance.
Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.