Are you looking for a special gift for a very special person or for an important occasion? Is it your best friend's birthday, your wedding anniversary or a favorite colleague's anniversary? Have you ever thought about giving the gift of high-quality, unique pieces of applied art? Stylish objects made from ceramics, glass, linen or wood? Functional and handmade by people who understand and love their craft.
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· Special occasions, special gifts |
Special occasions, special gifts
Especially when a gift needs to be personal and unique, a piece of commercial art is ideal. Commercial art combines function and art. It is used and seen - and touches people every day. It doesn't disappear into a cupboard, but acquires patina and signs of use and thus becomes part of the recipient's life. What a beautiful thought.
Who gives gifts of applied art?
Our selection is aimed at people who love handmade and high-quality unique items instead of mass-produced goods and therefore want to give them as gifts. A gift of commercial art shows appreciation - for the person and for the craft. Art objects with function, made from high-quality materials, can give a lifetime of pleasure. Or longer. Giving the gift of commercial art on special occasions is an expression of individuality and attitude. If this is important to you, then you've come to the right place.
Here are our top 6 gift ideas: Utility art that combines everyday practicality with special charisma
1. Handmade vases - sculptural and timeless
Handmade vases are one of the most popular gifts in the world of decorative art. They look great with or without flowers, as a solitaire or in combination. Small variations in shape or glaze make each vase unique. We have vases made of porcelain, glass and stoneware for you. Each of these objects radiates something special. This can be calm and grandeur, as with the vases by Gundula Sommerer, Christine Wagner or Marco Minetti. Or they bring color and life into play, as with the colorful glass vases by Barbara Ebner von Eschenbach. But they all impress with their materiality, uniqueness and precision craftsmanship - ideal as gifts for special occasions such as birthdays or wedding anniversaries.
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2. Matcha bowls - for harmonious moments and small rituals
Sometimes it's the little rituals that make our everyday lives special: The warm steam of a freshly prepared bowl of matcha tea, the soft tap of the broom, the chasen, the feel of handmade ceramics in your hands. Alone or as a couple.
Here you will find high-quality matcha bowls, handmade by ceramic artists such as Karin Bablok, who makes her matcha bowls from porcelain and paints them beautifully, or artists such as Marco Minetti, who makes the bowls from wild clay and covers them with white engobe, liquid clay or porcelain. Each of these bowls is unique and ideal for the special preparation and enjoyment of matcha tea. If you are looking for a high-quality gift for a loved one or a loving couple, then unique matcha bowls may be just the thing. For a birthday, wedding or Christmas.
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3. Wooden utensils and bowls - natural, functional, unique
Turned or carved wooden utensils bring warmth and authenticity to the kitchen and living room. Each piece follows the grain of the wood and is truly unique. Whether bowls, tins, spoons, pepper or salt mills: handmade wooden objects are durable, functional and decorative at the same time - ideal for people who appreciate natural materials and flattering surfaces.
Wooden boxes with and without lids are particularly suitable for storing jewelry, as the wood, being a softer material, would never scratch or damage the jewelry. Our wooden boxes are unique, just as every jewelry collection is very individual and unique. The box itself is an ideal gift for people who love the feel of velvety wooden surfaces and stylish storage containers. However, it can also be used as elegant and stylish packaging for a ring, a key, a photo or other valuable items. Suitable as a gift for an engagement or birthday, or whenever jewelry comes into play.
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4. Tableware - beauty in everyday use
Objects of utility art unfold their strength in everyday life. Handmade tableware makes every meal more conscious, every gesture slower. A feast for the senses. Alone, as a couple or with family and friends. The tableware by Valentin Alscher and Grisella Kreiterling from Hamburg is not only straightforward and simply beautiful, but also robust and durable. The two develop tableware for trendy restaurants in the north and know what works and what properties tableware needs that is stylish and aesthetic, but also has to stand up to everyday use. Tableware that feels just as at home in the dishwasher as it does on the kitchen table or a festively laid table. A little tip: when we discovered the beautiful tableware from Grisella and Valentin, we started small. Two plates, two bowls, two mugs. That worked wonderfully for us. Until the rest of the family got wind of it and we had to buy more... but everyone does it differently. Handmade tableware is a gift that brings joy every day - and becomes more and more beautiful over time.
If you want something a little more delicate and dainty and the tableware is intended for a loved one who can enjoy the daily tea or coffee ceremony with or without cookies, then the charming mugs, bowls or jugs from Saeam Kwon could be a suitable gift idea. Saeam, a Korean ceramist with a studio in Berlin, makes very thin-walled objects that turn every tea or coffee into an experience. Purism plus function. A gift for people who value quality and elegance.
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5. Linen bed linen - the gift of tranquillity
Linen is a material you can feel. Cooling in summer, warming in winter, with a lively texture that evolves with every wash. Our linen bed linen is just right for people who want to enjoy conscious comfort and stands for a feel that you don't have to explain, but want to experience. On the skin. Night after night.
Our linen bedding collection is made by Portugal's oldest linen weaving mill, which has been perfecting every step of the manufacturing process for over 100 years. The linen bedding is OEKO-TEX®-100 or EUROPEAN FLAX® certified and sustainably produced without harmful chemicals.
Good to know: Linen has a great eco-balance: it is super durable, hard-wearing and a particularly resource-saving material. No fertilizers, pesticides or additional irrigation are needed to grow the flax plant. Linen is anti-bacterial and hypoallergenic and becomes softer and more supple with proper care.
So if you want to do something good for a loved one and wish them a good night's sleep, linen bed linen is the perfect gift. We have a wide range of sizes for comforter covers, sheets and pillows in stock.
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6. Japanese ceramics as a gift - reduction and depth
Japanese ceramics stand for mindfulness, balance and material honesty. Bowls, mugs and vessels are deliberately minimalist in design and invite daily use. Every year in April, we travel through Japan and acquire objects of applied art from artists whom we meet in person and with whom we enjoy exchanging ideas.
As a gift, Japanese ceramics are particularly popular with people who value clear forms, natural glazes, traditional craft techniques and touching surfaces. The objects we offer are ideal for small ceremonies in everyday life and will delight design lovers as well as people with a soft spot for the country. Giving Japanese ceramics as a gift means giving a piece of living culture.
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Gift voucher - another way
Sometimes it is easier to leave the choice of gift to the recipient. Often out of uncertainty as to whether the gift will suit their taste. However, the gift bought with the gift voucher loses its connection to the person giving it, which we think is a shame. Especially for important occasions, we always recommend choosing a gift personally. If you don't like it in the end, we are happy to exchange it. Or take it back. Even after the deadline in the small print, if we have agreed this in advance. Just talk to us. And if you really want to leave the choice up to the person receiving the gift, a voucher is also fine.
Buy applied art online - curated & personal
Our haptik gallery is a curated space for high-quality applied art. Each object is carefully selected by us personally, described in detail and presented in high quality. We know each and every artisan personally and are aware of their skills and qualities. We are happy to advise you personally on choosing the right gift and will exchange items free of charge if we agree this in advance.
Conclusion: contemporary arts and crafts gives meaning
Contemporary craft is not a quick purchase, but a conscious decision. It combines everyday life and aesthetics, function and emotion. Giving the gift of contemporary crafts means giving time, quality and attention.
And that is exactly what makes it the perfect gift for special occasions.
Kathrin and Thorsten HeldKathrin and Thorsten Held are the founders of haptik, the new gallery for commercial art. Together they run the curated platform for contemporary arts and crafts as a store in the historic old town of Flensburg and online. They offer unique pieces that impress with their design quality, precision craftsmanship and a special haptic experience and enrich everyday life in the long term. It is the couple's declared aim to increase the visibility of the applied arts and their craftswomen. |
