The rich of the earth have this crockery and here you can buy it for a pittance
If I am to believe my mother, it matters from which plate you eat your sandwich, from which bowl you scoop your salad, how your coffee cup feels in your hand, and from which glass you drink. Even your oatmeal tastes different when it comes from the right bowl. And to be honest, I am just as sensitive to that. How a table is set, from which glass I drink my Verdejo, which napkins are laid out, how the light is dimmed; it matters to me.
I think I got that from her. At our home, the plates, bowls, and coffee cups are always a bit stacked, as if food could be eaten at any moment. On the kitchen island, next to a fruit bowl full of mineolas, a few rough wooden containers with ladles and soup spoons, and a large branch of twisted hazel in a green terracotta vase. It feels alive. And that’s what I like most, even with others. Not some showroom where everything is perfect and you’re almost afraid to touch anything or even move in the space.
Okay, I’m getting off track. That’s how I came across this super cute little dinner set (a plate with a bowl) at Xenos. Almost one-to-one with Bordallo Pinheiro. You probably know it, but for the newbies who haven’t seen it yet: a Portuguese brand that has turned tableware into an art form since 1884. Not new, but completely current again.
It started with Rafael Bordallo Pinheiro, who thought: why should a plate be boring when it can also look like a lively cabbage leaf? He drew inspiration from outdoor life, from gardens, markets, everything that grows and lives. That connection with nature is still evident. Botanical living, organic shapes, a table that feels like it just came from a vegetable garden.
Fast forward: you want this kind of tableware in your cupboard or on your kitchen island. The original remains the most special, with those Portuguese roots and the craftsmanship. But you can also easily bring that same atmosphere into your home from Xenos. A little imitation is allowed, right?
I’ve linked them for you below. Now just one set, but Xenos, if you’re reading along: when will the rest be on the shelves?
