Tuscan Pots

Home
United Kingdom
Oxford
Tuscan Pots

Open by appointment only. Luxury Impruneta Terracotta and Maiolica Ceramics. Robert Moy Garden Design We are also a 5 minute walk from the train station.

There is free parking in front of, and to the side of Tuscan Pots (along Alexandra Road) if coming by car.

28/10/2025

A glimpse of what is to come...Scagliola...arriving next week!

Our recent trip to Italy contained one or the most exciting afternoons of my life. Nestled just outside Florence, at the most enchanting Tuscan farmhouse you have ever seen, stands Jilly Bernard's studio. She is, without a doubt, one of the most naturally gifted artists my father and I have ever come across, and Jilly's studio is a stronghold for the forgotten art of Scagliola: the study and manipulation of "moonstone" (selenite) into the most expressive and decorative of forms. If you are unfamiliar with her work do acquaint yourself with it here:

Our showroom in Oxford is currently undergoing renovations in anticipation of the arrival of these exciting pieces. Many thanks to and her amazing team at for designing the space for these amazing sculptures. Renovating the original 1902 butcher's freezer room at 65 Botley Road is no small feat and it is looking fantastic!

Over the next few weeks we will be casting light on the process of Scagliola, its history and cultivation, and on the amazing journey which has led to Jilly's devotion to the art. An entirely handmade process, these pieces are works of history that entirely fit in with our mission at Tuscan Pots: to showcase and champion the finest arts from Tuscany created by only human hands.

It is a great privilege to be representing Jilly and her work here in the UK. Please do get in touch with me if you are interested in visiting us or learning more about this amazing art.

13/10/2025

It is always a privilege to be in Country Life, and thank you to the amazing team at for all of their work! This is a particularly special page for us as it marks our ongoing partnerships with Katya at who is absolutely fundamental to our work at Tuscan Pots.

Robert and I have just returned from Tuscany this week, and it was one of the most exciting trips we have ever had there. There are lots of new and exciting things in the works for the next year, and I will be posting some details in the next few weeks.

17/12/2024

Some snapshots of the smaller maiolica pieces which have arrived in the last week! All handmade and hand painted over a series of months in the historic centre of maiolica production that is the town of Montelupo near Florence.

06/12/2024

Nothing quite like a renaissance Florence interpretation of an ancient bull in Impruneta terracotta to complement an antique leather hippo in front of a beautifully decorative antique chest.

Just another picture from our shoot with and last month showcasing how terracotta can add a whole new element to interior spaces - even in quirky ensembles!

Interior design and staging:
Photography:

29/11/2024

Florence, my favourite city in the world, is always a privilege to visit. So it was particularly special to be transported to the first decade of 16th century in Florence with the exhibition on Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael at in London.

The exhibition focuses on the brief time when these three artists all crossed over. In 1504 they were all gathered in Florence to consult on where Michelangelo's David should be located once it was completed. This gathering also resulted in this triumvirate acquiring commissions from powerful patrons in the city and led to some magnificent artistic achievements.

One very important work of this exhibition is Michelangelo's Taddei Tondo which is the only Michelangelo sculpture in the Great Britain, and resides in the Royal Academy permanently.

Seeing this yesterday was very inspiring, and it's unfinished nature particularly so. If you look at the second picture you will see the contrast between the unfinished marble work of St John and the goldfinch which he offers to the Christ Child in direct contrast to the polished luminescence of the Madonna's face and her child.

In many ways this unfinished feel actually creates something more remarkable and tangible than had it been completed as typically expected. The tangibility of the marble registers differently for the lack of polish, and perhaps gives a greater sense of character to the piece, particularly when viewed from further away.

Walter Pater talks about this phenomenon of Michelangelo's obsession with the 'unfinished' and concludes with this:

"...incompleteness is Michelangelo's equivalent for colour in sculpture; it is his way of etherealising pure form, of relieving its stiff realism, and communicating to it breath, pulsation, the effect of life. It was a characteristic too which fell in with his peculiar temper and mode of living, his disappointments and hesitations. And it was in reality perfect finish. In this way he combines the utmost amount of passion and intensity with the sense of a yielding and flexible life: he gets not vitality merely, but a wonderful force of expression."

Do visit this exhibition if you get the opportunity!

25/11/2024

We had an amazing photoshoot last week with Katya at in one of her incredible interior design projects. Lovely to be working with her on using terracotta indoors more and more, and wonderful to be working with her three guest stars Basil, Daisy, and Poppy!

We have some amazing pictures which we'll be showing over the next few weeks, but here is a picture of our special Venere Italica on a wonderful console table in a recently renovated mill, as well as a picture of Robert, Katya, and I - and the dogs! - just leaving after our shoot.

Interior Design and Staging:
Terracotta:
Photography:

28/10/2024

Terracotta, Gelato, and Maiolica - Italy

These are the three things which accompany any trip of ours to Tuscany. We had a fantastic trip at the start of October seeing our family in Lucca, catching up with our potters and ceramicists in Impruneta, Pistoia, and Montelupo, and eating excellent food - ice cream at never to be missed - as usual.

We also had the rather unexpected experience of being stranded on the smallest rural Tuscan road one can imagine after hitting a rather deep pothole in the pouring rain at 9pm one evening. Luckily all sorted by the end of the following day, and now a good story to tell, even if it did interfere with our going to Santa Maria Novella in Florence. That will have to wait until next time!

The terracotta piece in the first picture is at the end of the moulding phase of an extremely ornate and large pot, and it was lovely to see it at this stage! Also, a taster of some new, very exciting maiolica ceramics which will be arriving in 2025!

21/10/2024

It was great to be at The .club on Friday night for their charity fundraising dinner, and wonderful that one of our clients, Tracie (pictured above with Tom and H**e) had the winning bid for our beautiful statue of H**e in the auction.

If you aren't familiar with the amazing work that The Harrow Club does across London then take a look at their website here: https://harrowclub.org/

Thank you to all of our guests for coming, and to everyone who helped to organise such an enjoyable evening!

**e

16/10/2024

Ahead of lunch with today, Robert and I decided to visit The 007 boutique and bar in this morning.

I wouldn't normally have a 'Vesper' Vodka Martini at 10am, but this was a special occasion, and I can heartily recommend a visit if you are in the area. Great to see the Goldfinger exhibition downstairs, and definitely worth visiting Nelson for a drink in the bar!

Posts soon to follow with details from our trip to Tuscany last week!

#007

26/08/2024

Pyrrhus, Greek King in the late 4th and early 3rd centuries BC.

One of the most remarkable and distinct pieces from our Rare Collection, Pyrrhus clearly expresses his strength and indomitable character in his visage here. Absolute in his ruthlessness and determination, this depiction captures our understanding of him in a terrifying and humbling manner.

Wrought from Impruneta terracotta, this bust is the perfect addition to homes and gardens wishing to pay homage to classicism and nobility of the ancient world.

For more information about our Rare Collection feel free to message us here, or contact us using the details on our website.

Many thanks to for the photograph!

19/08/2024

One of our large Rare Collection pieces.

By luck, we managed to add this to our collection in Oxford. These were produced by our potter as a special order for a client in Asia, and this was the spare produced in case there was any damage in the firing process. Currently unique in Europe, this is on show in our front window at the moment, and is a perfect object to adorn any internal or external space with a sense of regal opulence and power.

Many thanks to for the photograph!

05/08/2024

It was wonderful to see our full-size statue of Thorvaldsen's H**e arrive in the UK; here just unwrapped from the straw used to transport her safely after her long awaited arrival of 8 months!

Standing at 2.2m tall, she is now safely at home in the gallery in Oxford!

For more information about our Impruneta terracotta statues, or for any other enquiries, feel free to contact us here or using the details on our website.

Address

65 Botley Road
Oxford
OX20BS

Telephone

+447891986862

Website

https://tuscanpots.co.uk/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Tuscan Pots posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Tuscan Pots:

Shortcuts

Want your business to be the top-listed Shop in Oxford?