Hout Plate
Large Plate for Shared Dishes
Handmade by Chmissa in Sejnane, the Hout Plate extends the rising-wall plate form to a larger scale for dishes shared around the table. Two differently marked fish sit within circular lines and a repeated geometric border.
- Maker: Chmissa
- Origin: Sejnane, northern Tunisia
- Object: Large shared plate with rising walls
- Diameter: Approximately 31 cm
- Method: Built and decorated directly by hand without a potter’s wheel
- Surface: Two fish, circular lines and a repeated triangular border
- Variation: Dimensions, profile, markings and surface tone may differ between handmade pieces
At approximately 31 centimetres across, Hout is the largest object in the four-piece collection.
Its broad central surface provides room for arranging a shared dish, while its rising walls offer more containment than a flat serving plate. The rim then opens outward, keeping the form visually accessible at the centre of the table.
Hout belongs to the same structural family as the Zerka Plate, but the difference in scale changes its principal role. Zerka is designed around an individual meal. Hout extends the broad centre and rising walls for food shared between several people.
Within a wider table arrangement, Hout pairs naturally with the lower Storka Bowl.
Two fish occupy the centre of the Hout Plate. Their bodies are filled with different internal markings, allowing each to remain visually distinct within the same composition.
Multiple circular lines surround them before the surface reaches a repeated border of dark and light triangular forms. The border emphasises the plate’s broad circumference and separates the central scene from the outward-flaring rim.
Chmissa draws these elements by hand. Fish proportions, internal markings, border spacing, line thickness and placement can therefore vary between plates.
The fish reflect the animals and familiar forms present within Chmissa’s visual environment. They should not be presented as carrying one predetermined symbolic meaning.
Chmissa personally makes every Hout Plate in Sejnane.
She learned pottery by watching her mother work when she was young. Through observation and repeated participation, the practice became something she found herself doing naturally.
Chmissa remains involved throughout the production cycle. She gathers and prepares clay, builds each form directly by hand, develops its markings, manages drying and participates in firing.
The work takes place around her home and its outdoor surroundings. Her daughter may help when materials or tasks become physically demanding, while her grandchildren often play nearby. Hout’s broad form and hand-drawn fish remain the work of a specific, named maker.
Hout belongs within the wider pottery tradition of Sejnane, where women carry knowledge spanning clay gathering, preparation, direct hand-building, surface treatment, drying and fire.
The plate is formed without a potter’s wheel. Its construction depends instead on pressure, moisture control, gradual adjustment and the maker’s judgement of the clay.
Those methods connect Hout to a shared regional practice. Its scale, proportions, two fish and geometric border connect it specifically to Chmissa.
Every Hout Plate is built and marked individually by hand.
Small differences may appear in diameter, wall profile, rim alignment, fish proportions, internal markings, border spacing and surface tone. These changes distinguish one handmade plate from another and should be expected when selecting the object.
They remain different from structural cracks, sharp breaks or damage sustained during delivery. Contact Customer Care if the piece arrives in a condition that affects its stability or safe handling.
Use the plate according to its verified product guidance. Do not assume that all handmade earthenware has identical tolerances for heat, appliances, liquids or prolonged soaking.
Understand Handmade Ceramic Variation
Combine Hout’s broad shared plate with a low, open bowl designed for collective access around the table.
See how individual and shared objects can work together across different table arrangements.
Explore Ceramic Dinnerware Sets
Compare all four functional plates and bowls personally made by Chmissa.
Explore Artisan Ceramic Tableware