Search

Perception Park Porcelain

We’ve seen a lot of anatomically-inspired accessories in the last few years, but the ethereal porcelain sculptures from Parisian studio Perception Park is absolutely one of the most beautiful. Designer Celia Nkala’s Ossements collection was inspired by a real human hip bone that she found in a flea market in Brussels about a year ago. She says, “I was fascinated while the others were disgusted.”

To make it more “acceptable,” she decided to sculpt the shape in porcelain. Thus was borne the Iliac bone piece, and first sculpture she had ever created. She borrowed a human skeleton from the anatomy department of a medical university to use as a model for the other pieces.

Iliac bone, enameled porcelain

Sacrum bone, enameled porcelain

Vertebra, stackable candle-holder, enameled porcelain

Vertebral vase, earthenware biscuit, enameled porcelain, and animal sphenoid bone vertebra

The horizontal bits on the vertebra vase are actual bones. Nkala found a stock of cow’s sphenoid bones (the cow’s last vertebra) by chance in a Chinese shop in Paris, and bought the entire stock. She says, “I discovered that earthenware biscuit is visually similar of the bone material, so I have associated them directly with ceramics.” The collection also includes a porcelain key ring embellished with the bones.

Celia Nkala is holding a real human hip she found in Belgium; the catalyst for the collection.

Marni Elyse Katz is a Contributing Editor at Design Milk. She lives in Boston where she contributes regularly to local publications and writes her own interior design blog, StyleCarrot.