At first, creating ceramic pieces was a way for Abigail and Eric Smallwood to unwind from their demanding jobs in product design.
That changed in 2015, when the pair launched their own business, Myrth Ceramics.
The Smallwoods, who worked as product designers, were introduced to ceramics when they joined a pottery studio in Boston’s South End in 2008. There, they learned about the science behind designing and forming ceramic products.
“We enjoyed being able to kind of focus on making one thing, understanding the intent of your craft,” Eric Smallwood said.
Indeed, creating ceramic pieces involves a lot of testing to find the right proportion and combination of clays and glazes so pieces come out correctly. For example, there is a specific gram weight of glaze each piece can be coated with. And if that’s off – even by a few grams – the piece could have imperfections, such as spots of exposed clay.
While the studios they went to had clays and glazes, the Smallwoods wanted to learn more about how to create different pieces. So, they opened a studio in Somerville, Mass., and worked on building their brand on nights and weekends while they kept their full-time jobs.
Then in 2020, once the pair felt they had designed their product lines, they took the business full time and moved to a larger warehouse in East Providence where they could expand.
Now, the Smallwoods are building out a kitchen in the warehouse where they hope to host events in which chefs will come and cook on their dinnerware sets, which are created just steps away.
Every piece begins by taking a piece of white clay that the Smallwoods had specially designed for their products.
Most pieces are formed in a roller jigger. This machine spins a circular slab of clay under a custom blade to create more-even plates and bowls.
If a piece has a more detailed design, it will be created through slip casting. This is done by pouring liquid clay into a custom plaster mold, which is designed with computer software and then 3D printed.
The pieces then go into the kiln, which is a type of oven that will harden the clay. After the first round through the kiln, the pieces are porous and ready to be glazed, Eric Smallwood said.
The pieces are sprayed with an even layer of glaze and then go back into the kiln for the second and final time.
From start to finish, it takes several days to complete a piece, Smallwood said. Currently, 100 pieces can fit in the kiln, but the pair hopes to expand this soon.
About 15% to 20% of the pieces that come out of the kiln are dubbed “seconds” and sold at a discount. This means they have a small imperfection, whether it’s a crack, bare spot or a fragment that’s not supposed to be in the piece.
Myrth’s products are sold directly to customers and used by several restaurants in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Michigan and New York City. Also, customers can create a gift registry with Myrth’s products.
When coming up with a name for the business, Abigail Smallwood said she was inspired by the environment where the products are meant to be – a cheerful gathering, known as “mirth” in Old English.
“That’s where I envisioned our products living in; a really joyful dinner party,” she said. “So, that word just fits so perfectly.”
OWNERS: Abigail and Eric Smallwood
TYPE OF BUSINESS: Handmade porcelain dinnerware and vessels
LOCATION: 310 Bourne Ave., Suite 14-1, East Providence
EMPLOYEES: Two
YEAR FOUNDED: 2015
ANNUAL REVENUE: WND
