Hand Cast Pottery Deep Dive: The Making of Sunsum® Gypsum Decorative Trays

Every Sunsum® gypsum tray begins the same way: with a mold, a mix of gypsum plaster and water, and a pair of hands. What comes out is different every time — not dramatically different, but measurably so. The nature of hand-casting is that it produces objects with the slight, beautiful imprecision of human-made things.

This is not a defect. It is the point.

What Is Gypsum?

Gypsum (calcium sulfate dihydrate) is one of the oldest building and decorative materials in human history — used in Egyptian plasterwork, Roman construction, and the fine plaster details of European Baroque architecture. As a casting material, it is prized for its ability to capture fine surface detail from a mold: the relief patterns on Sunsum® trays — leaf veining, scallop edges, natural botanical forms — are as sharp and clear as the mold that produced them.

Gypsum is also exceptionally lightweight for its visual density. A nine-inch tray feels substantial but weighs less than you expect — a quality that makes it easy to move and restyle without the commitment of heavier ceramic or stone.

The Four Tray Forms

Elm Leaf (X410) — 6 inches. The most organic of the four. The elm leaf form — asymmetrical, with deeply impressed veining — captures the natural irregularity of an actual leaf. Works across botanical, cottagecore, and natural home aesthetics.

Maple Leaf (X430) — 6 inches. The maple leaf’s five-pointed symmetry gives it a more graphic, design-forward quality than the elm. Recognizable as a maple at a glance, it works well in more modern or Scandi-adjacent interiors where botanical reference and clean form coexist.

Scalloped Oval (X450) — 8 inches. The most versatile piece in the tray collection. The scalloped edge is elegant without being ornate, and the oval form works in more contexts than any leaf-shaped piece. Vanity trays, coffee table catchalls, nightstand organization — the scalloped oval is the everyday utility piece of the collection.

Scalloped Oblong (X440) — 7 inches. The oblong proportion makes this the best choice for narrow surfaces — window ledges, bathroom shelves, the top of a dresser. It holds more than it looks like it should.

Explore the full Unique Vessels and Planters Collection and Hand Cast Pottery.