From the Artist

These one-of-a-kind crystalline porcelain plates and vases are created by Hawai’i master artisan Robbrecht Troost. He lived on the North Shore of the Island of O'ahu, and had his studio for the past 30 years. Recently in 2010 Robbrecht opted for a more pastoral life and now resides on the Big island of Hawaii.

Crystalline glazes are those special ceramic glazes in which crystals actually grow inside the glaze while it is still very hot (about 2100° F). The crystals start out as microscopic spots in the glaze, called "seeds." These seeds form spontaneously in the glaze, in random numbers and locations. The glaze is first fired to about 2500° to thoroughly melt all of the ingredients. It is then cooled to the crystal-growing temperature, where the crystals start growing on the seeds. The longer the glaze is held at that temperature (from 6 to 12 hours), the larger the crystals get—until the maximum size for that particular glaze is attained.

Grown during the cooling process of the piece, the shapes and patterns of the crystals are unpredictable. What really happens in the kiln? No one knows. That's the marvelous mystery of the elusive crystals. Thus, each and every piece is a unique, one-of-a-kind work of art.

These high-fired porcelain pieces are fully functional, microwavable, and dishwasher safe. They are also quite sturdy! Porcelains are long-lived.

Like these museum pieces, Robbrecht Troost’s beautiful crystalline porcelains are meant to serve as “objets d’ art” to be handed down from generation to generation. They have been collected not only into countless homes and offices in the United States, but have also found their way into fine porcelain collections all over the world.