Benedetta Pompili – Ceramic & Social Designer in Amsterdam
Benedetta PompiliDesign, ceramics, editorials

CV & studio detailsBenedetta Pompili (IT, 1995) is a social designer based in Amsterdam. She is founder of vuur collective and care-taker of the ceramic workshop of Gerrit Rietveld Academie. 
A dedication to materials identifies her practice, intertwining the cultural background they carry, as well as their environmental impact. To research & design becomes a way to learn technique, retrace tradition, and share knowledge by thinking and acting in an interdisciplinary way.


 Make no bones aboutMaterial & cultural research on bone china production
2024-ongoing
Supported by Stimuleringsfonds

This project explores the history and evolution of bone china, from its invention by Thomas Frye and Edward Heylin in 1744 to its refinement by Josiah Spode in 1759. Thanks to collaborations with the Spode Archive Trust, Stoke-on-Trent City Archives, and other experts, historical recipes and letters have been uncovered, shedding light on its development.
Through archival research, factory visits, and interviews, the project has examined bone china production in both Japan and the UK. Key findings include differences in material composition—Japanese manufacturers use synthetic bone ash, while UK producers rely on natural bone ash. The visits to Stoke-on-Trent’s Wedgwood and Valentin Clays Ltd. further deepened the material research.
 
Bone china stock and production facilties, courtesy of Global Ceramics, Stoke on Trent, 2024.
Bottle ovens, Stoke on Trent, 2024.

 
Parallel to historical studies, the project is actively developing a vegan bone china alternative. With support from Susphos, a sustainable material called Phoenix Bond—derived from recycled phosphoric byproducts—is being tested. As production scales up in 2025, further experiments will refine this waste-based innovation.

Bone china production facilities, courtesy of Valentin Clays std. Stoke on Trent, 2024.
Etruria industrial museum, previous Shirley’s bone mill and ashes developer. Stoke on Trent, 2024.





For information or collaborations: info@benedettapompili.com
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Copyright of Benedetta Pompili, 2025.