Hand Painted Mug, Tulip Crown

This Hand Painted Mug features the “Tulip Crown,” a motif designed by our founder Alex Matisse. Rhythmic rings of tulip blooms wind in a fluid, continuous wreath—a symbol of abundance and renewal that blends Alex’s influences from the last 20 years. Applied with custom-formulated paints from our lab, each brushstroke has a translucent delicacy that celebrates care and intention with effortless confidence.

— Individually hand painted at East Fork
— Subtle variations show the touch of the human hand
— Beautiful on its own or layered with core colors

— Dimensions: 3.6” dia x 4.5“ H
— Holds 10 oz comfortably, 12 oz to the brim
— Weight: 1.3 lbs
— Material: Lead Free Stoneware
— Our pottery is made by humans and reduction-fired in Asheville, North Carolina. Any differences in glaze applications and surfaces are there to embrace.

— Dishwasher and microwave safe
— Avoid open flames, broilers and stovetops
— Over time, your pots might accumulate mild cutlery marks. These can be buffed off with warm water and scouring powder such as Bar Keeper's Friend. More information.

Hand painting was part of East Fork’s earliest years, when founder Alex Matisse decorated pots using techniques he learned as an apprentice. Today, motifs drawn from that history are painted by a small team of East Fork makers, carrying a practice rooted in apprenticeship into its next generation.

Intricate botanical motifs were a regular feature of East Fork’s earliest work, but fell away as our collection evolved and simplified. In 2026, Alex returned to painting and made the design that became the precursor to today’s Tulip Crown motif.

Today, Alex trains a small team of East Fork painters in our factory. Through practice and repetition, each painter learns the same motif, developing the muscle memory and confidence that only comes from doing something again and again.

Each piece is painted individually, so production moves at the pace of the people making it. Some are made in small batches, others painted to order. The pace is part of the process.

Turn each piece over and you’ll find the personal maker’s mark of the person who painted it. Lucky customers may even receive one made and signed by Alex Matisse.

Rachel and Alex in a pottery studio sitting and painting on ceramic plates.

Full Circle

“From the moment that East Fork started veering away from our roots, I was thinking about how to connect it back. I had some fear in trying to do something that was so of the hand in the context of what we’ve built. It came together with a surprising amount of ease.”- Alex Matisse, Founder & CEO

Explore The Hand Painted Collection