Who Is Julian? The Story Behind Julianware
If you've spent any time on PetitFelts, you've probably met Julian without knowing it. He's the sardine — the same little fish, over and over, showing up as a salt cellar, a catchall tray, a vase, tucked into the corner of nearly every piece in the Julianware collection.
How Julian Got His Name
Every PetitFelts piece gets a name the same way: it just tells me what it is once it's finished. My first sardine had a name. So did my second. And my third. By the fourth, I stopped questioning it — they were all Julian, every one of them, and eventually it seemed only right that a whole collection built around him would take his name too.
That's Julianware: handmade porcelain trays, platters, bowls, and vases, all slip cast and hand-glazed in the studio here in the Hudson Valley, each one with Julian himself at the center.
Meet the Collection
Julian Head Salt Cellar and Julian Tail Salt Cellar — the two smallest pieces, and the most quietly useful. A tiny bowl for a pinch of flaky salt, a dollop of mustard next to a charcuterie board, or whatever small detail deserves its own little dish. Small enough to disappear into a table setting, charming enough that you'll keep finding excuses to bring them out.
Little Julian — part tray, part jewelry dish, part catchall for whatever's in your pockets at the end of the day. This is the piece that ends up on a nightstand or a stack of books, holding rings and loose change in equal measure.
Big Julian — the serving piece of the group. Bigger, more substantial, built for actually setting food on — citrus, cheese, bread, whatever the table calls for.
Julian Vase — the newest member of the family, and the only one that isn't a dish. Three or four Julians standing in a row, holding up whatever you've cut from the garden that week.
Moonflower: A New Colorway
This year, Julian got a new look. Moonflower takes the original creamy porcelain and reimagines it in soft yellow and chartreuse — same tiny form, same handmade process, just a little sunnier. If you already have a piece or two in the original glaze, Moonflower mixes in easily; if you're starting fresh, it's just as good a place to begin.
Why People Keep Coming Back to Julian
There's something about a small, useful object with a bit of a story behind it. Julian isn't trying to be a serious piece of tableware — he's a little bit funny, a little bit surprising the first time someone spots him, and genuinely useful once he's on your table. That combination is rare, and it's probably why the collection has grown the way it has: one sardine, then a whole shelf of him.
Shop the full Julianware collection here.