The Price Of Pottery Has Gone Up Drastically

The art of creating pottery has been around for thousands of years, and the popularity of this skilled process is greater than ever. As society moves at a faster pace through the avenues of impersonal technology, creating a handmade piece of pottery seems uniquely appealing. Jennifer Waverek, the owner of Bklyn Clay in New York, explains why this is so. "Clay acts almost as an antidote to the overwhelm of the digital world," she tells BBC. "Your mind has a single focus, so the practice can feel meditative or therapeutic." She continues by observing that "ceramics take as much time to make today as they did 2,000 years ago."

The desire for this kind of artistic expression is understandable, and the appeal of creating handmade goods certainly rose during the last few tumultuous years. Yet research shows that the price of pottery has been increasing significantly over time, according to data compiled by House Digest. These numbers indicate that many factors may be at work to drive up these prices so dramatically. What conditions are contributing to this price increase? There are a number of explanations to consider.

This data from House Digest indicates that the price of pottery increased by 4% from February 2018 to January 2020. A year and a half later, in July 2021, prices had increased by a further 9%, and they continued to climb rapidly after that. By July 2022, the price of pottery goods had risen 23% compared to the beginning of 2018. According to Grand View Research, the main component of this increase has been growth in the hotel and restaurant market. These businesses have been updating their interiors through art and tableware in order to appeal to their customers. New construction of hotels is expected to continue, with 428 new hotels estimated to open by the end of 2022. Residential construction is also expected to add to the demand, as the need for ceramic roof tiles has increased, and homes are also being decorated with ceramic art.

Pottery is beneficial in both commercial and residential settings, and its attraction has been shown to transcend time. Dalia Sofronie, an artist at the 137° Ceramic Art Studio in Barcelona, Spain, tells Barcelona Metropolitan, "There is something we cannot deny about the energy of clay, about its versatility and warmth." She continues, "When people come into the studio they bring the best version of themselves." Since it was first created thousands of years ago, the desire to create pottery and find an everyday use for it has never diminished but continues to grow every day.