Endangered Jug, White Reef Kotuku, Large

Native birds have come to symbolise New Zealand’s natural beauty, rarity and endemic qualities. We think the best way to do this is to bring a little bit of bird life in to your home in the form of a functional yet beautiful jug.

We are thrilled to celebrate our rare native birds in a special collaboration with Bob Steiner. We hope to highlight the stories and precious nature of three endangered native birds; the Chatham Island Tui, Reef Kotuku and Blue Whio. Each bird is represented in a hand picked glaze which is applied to a one of a kind and entirely exclusive ceramic bird jug by Bob Steiner. Each bird just is hand made by Bob and his team in Avondale, right down to each little eye being crafted and applied by hand. 

Reef Kotuku

A rare solitary bird located in the shallow waters along the margins of rivers, inland lakes, swamps and coastal estuaries. Incredibly elegant, they lift themselves off into flight, the wings flapping slowly and purposefully. Climatically New Zealand is near the extreme limits of its range and the species was almost exterminated to satisfy the demand for feathers for women’s hats in the 1860’s. The numbers have now slightly stabilised. In Maori oratory, the most telling compliment is to liken someone to Kotuku. It symbolizes everything rare and beautiful.

Endangered bird jug sizes:

Tiny- 7 cm tall by 6 cm wide

Small- 10 cm tall by 8 cm wide

Large- 25 cm tall by 12 cm wide

All jugs are hand made from clay and fired in a kiln. All pieces are glazed and therefore food safe. Each jug is based on Bob Steiner’s popular squeeze design where finger indents are pressed into the sides of the jug making it the most ergonomically designed pourer. Please treat your bird jug with love and care and it will last a lifetime. Please hand wash. Tiny and small jugs are ideal as bud vases or milk and gravy pourers. The large jug is an exceptional vase for flowers of leaf cuttings. It is also ideal as a jug for pouring juice, water and other drinks.

Bob Steiner is a renowned New Zealand ceramic artist and potter based in Auckland. Coming from a background in the handcrafted pottery traditions of New Zealand Bob offers handmade sculptural ceramic tiles that capture the essence of Aotearoa's fauna and flora. Bob Steiner also creates tableware at his ceramics studio which is available in a wide range from contemporary designer pieces to Pacific and Kiwiana inspired ranges. Many of Bob’s pieces have become collectible over the passed decades and every year he adds new pieces to his collection.