Poko Planters II

A sculptural face planter in matte ceramic: a goblet-shaped body raised on a conical foot, two wide ring handles like ears, and a calm, minimal face moulded into the front — one brow line, two closed almond eyes and a long straight nose. It reads as a piece of sculpture before it reads as a pot, which is exactly the point.

A Pot That Works Even When It Is Empty

Most planters disappear behind the plant. This one does not. It holds a shelf, a console table or a mantelpiece on its own, which means you can plant it, fill it with cut stems or dried grasses, or leave it empty for months and it still earns its place in the room.

What to Plant in It

Give it hair. Anything that spills, arches or tufts over the rim reads as a head of hair above the face, and the effect works every time: trailing money plant, string of pearls, a small asparagus fern, spider plant, purple heart (Tradescantia pallida), or a tuft of ornamental grass. For something calmer, a single upright snake plant or a small euphorbia.

Care and Watering

• Depth: The body is deep for its width, so it holds a good volume of potting mix and lets the roots run down. Deep pots dry slowly, so check with a finger before watering rather than watering to a schedule.
• Watering: Pour into the soil rather than down the face. Matte glaze shows water marks more readily than gloss, though they wipe away with a damp cloth.
• Lifting: Carry it by the body, never by the handles. The rings are generous but they are ceramic, and a filled pot carried by one ring puts all its weight on a thin section.
• Cleaning: A soft damp cloth only. Nothing abrasive on a matte glaze.

Specifications

• Material: ceramic
• Finish: matte
• Form: footed urn with two ring handles and a moulded face
• Drainage hole: No

Matte ceramic, so very slight differences in surface sheen and shade between pieces are normal.