Visiting Master Potters Guy Wolff and Ben Wolff
If you're ever in Bantam, Connecticut, try to stop in and visit my favorite potters, Guy and Ben Wolff.
I first met Guy years ago during one of my many trips through Litchfield County, searching for antiques, plants, and content ideas for my magazine, Living. I was so impressed by his pots, I became a regular customer. Recently, I was in the area again for a television shoot and had just enough time afterward to stop for a brief visit. I love both Guy's and Ben's pots and according to Guy, I have the largest single collection of his beautiful clay vessels. My plants look so pretty displayed in the historical shapes that Guy and his son create - each and every one of them is so very beautifully handcrafted.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- Guy’s shop is located in the small borough of picturesque Litchfield County – originally in Woodville and now in Bantam. The front is a restored 1740 post and beam structure, which houses his showroom. An addition on the back is his work space.
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- Guy and his son, Ben, are both master potters. Here they are at the entrance of the shop. I was so happy to have some time to stop in and visit with them after a long day of shooting.
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- Outside, Guy displays some of his red terra cotta pots. These pots were made by Guy or his wife, Erica.
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- Here is the inside of the terra cotta containers. All of the pots are made with proper drainage holes at the bottom.
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- The term terra cotta comes from the Italian term for “baked-earth,” ceramic pottery. It is made out of a coarse, porous type of clay that is high in iron oxides. These are Guy’s Peabody pots.
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- The showroom and studio is a charming space, filled with redware and stoneware in the front, and his signature white pots in the back. Redware is an unglazed or dry-bodied stoneware. These redware pieces are etched with animals and trees.
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- More terra cotta pots are displayed here. Fine quality terra cotta clay is fired at 2000 degrees Fahrenheit in the kiln.
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- These shelves display his collection of stoneware. These pieces are waiting to go to their final homes.
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- And on the other side – dozens of beautiful white clay vessels. The antique wide boards and beams are a lovely backdrop for the pottery.
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- Some are made with plain rims and others with more decorative edges.
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- On the side of his pots, Guy also stamps his name and the wet weight of the clay used. This standardized system for horticultural pots was adopted by Victorian potters.
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- Any pot with this pottery stamp was made by Guy’s wife or someone visiting under Guy’s personal teaching, and was fired and sold by Guy from the Connecticut shop. this is also stamped with the pot’s wet clay weight and the year it was made.
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- Through a small doorway is the additional room where all the pots are created. Look closely – the corner wall behind the potter’s wheel is filled with small tools called coggles, roulettes, or rolling stamps, which are used to decorate the pottery.
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- On the opposite side of the room are the kilns, manufactured by Skutt, that fire up the pots.
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- The inside of each kiln is lined with electric coils that provide the high temperatures necessary for firing pottery.
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- Once a pot is made, it is left to dry. These pots are some of the newest creations.
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- Ben also makes a large selection of pots using different clays, glazes and finishes. Here are some of his gray pots also marked with the wet weight of the clay.
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- Of course, I noticed the gray pieces right away. Here I am with Ben holding some of his beautiful pottery.
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- On this shelf are stacks of pot saucers also made by Ben.
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- And here is one of Ben’s orchid pots. A good orchid pot will have holes on the sides to promote water drainage and encourage proper air movement around the plant’s root system.
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- All of Guy’s and Ben’s pots are hand thrown, so no two are exactly alike.
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- I encourage you to purchase some of Guy’s and Ben’s pots. Follow them on Instagram and visit their web sites. My plants grow better in their pots – I know yours will too. Happy gardening!
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