One of our first posts, back when cfile.daily was an itty bitty baby, was a report on the project “The Fifty United Plates” (I never forget a design with a hook). Kaitlyn and Ryan Lawless of the Detroit-based Corbé Company raised more than $75,000 over Kickstarter to fund a project to cast the United States in porcelain.
Romance for working people across the country was at the heart of the series, like a Bruce Springsteen song fired in a kiln. The creators, who think of their wares as “storied objects,” state:
Corbé started around the table with friends in rural Wisconsin, over hard earned meals cooked the long way, from scratch and out of nearby gardens, with wine and laughter. Inspired to contribute, we set out to create a thoughtful collection of ceramics to capture the sentiment of the people, the place, and the bounty at the heart of our gratitude. Our first prototype was made, the Wisconsin State Plate, and The Fifty United Plates were born.
Two years later, the handcrafted set was available for purchase this fall. The complete map spans an impressive 8 feet by 4 feet.
Click to see a larger image.
Today many of the pieces are on backorder with plans to ship in February. They sell for about $80 each. For comparison, cfile.daily’s home state of New Mexico measures at about 13 x 8.5 x 1.5 inches. They’re deep enough to hold a variety of food, glazed to help with nonstick baking and the contours are map-perfect with the help of a CNC router.
Love contemporary ceramic art + design? Let us know in the comments.
Photographs courtesy of Corbé.
Great idea. I believe they will sell very well.
Great idea! An they make a smaller version of this ? Like 2 feet across?
Also where is Alaska & Hawaii?
Great learning tool for kids in geography lesson!
Thanks!