Health Ceramics; the 1940s collectible makes a comeback

Sunset, Nov, 2008 by Peter Fish

WHO KNEW PLATES AND BOWLS could inspire lust? But when Edith Health shaped clay into tableware, she drew the eyes of connoisseurs like Frank Lloyd Wright and Alice Waters. Five years ago, husband-and-wife design duo Robin Petravic and Catherine Bailey purchased Health Ceramics (Edith Health died in 2005) and revivied it. Working out of Sausalito, California--the company's base since 1948-they've added new colors and one entire dinnerware line: the Waters-inspired Chez Panisse design. But they haven't altered the pottery's handmade essence. "Edith Health didn't do shapes of the moment," Bailey says. "Her work was beautiful, functional, timeless." Set your Thanksgiving table with Heath dinner plates, and your guests may push aside the cranberry sauce just to glimpse the serene beauty beneath.

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Set your table

The Health factory store (400 Gate Five Rd., Sausalito, CA; 415/332-3732) is open to the public. Next month, a new Heath store will debut in Los Angeles; visit heathceramics.com for details and more retailers.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFFERY CROSS