When we decided to recreate porcelain fixtures and bath accessories for our Period Basics collection, we knew we had to get every detail just right. (Of course, we feel that way about every item we make…) These pieces had a long life before they made their way to us—the fixtures originated in 1930 and the bath accessories in the early 1900s—and we wanted them to have a long life after they left our hands.

We could hardly believe our good fortune when we discovered a clay studio just over the river from our Portland facility. And not just any clay studio, but one dedicated to traditional artistry and American manufacturing, whose owners were willing to tackle the challenges of maintaining historical accuracy and upholding our exacting design standards.

Our engineers and designers, and the studio’s ceramicists ended up spending quite a bit of time together as they found ways to marry techniques from the past and the present. It may have taken two months and many trips across the bridge just to perfect the color and sheen of the glaze, but in the end, getting muddy was well worth it.

Here’s a little behind-the-scenes peek at the process.

Although some of the process is mechanized, a whole lot of it is done by hand.

Two pieces that were cast in molds are joined on the wheel.

A ceramicist carves off excess clay where two pieces were joined so that no seam shows.

The twice-fired fixtures—bisqued first, then glazed and re-fired—are ready to be sent back to Rejuvenation for wiring.