Slowness and thoroughness are virtues in the atelier on Laan van Meerdervoort. The philosophy is rooted in the luxury of the private moment where the interaction between texture and shape gives a touch of joy. The passion is in the detail.

In her atelier in The Hague, Monica Nielsen has been creating ceramic tableware under the name Babette uit Babylon Keramiek since the spring of 2021. A clay-dream has come true for Monica in the atelier on Laan van Meerdervoort with a store front and a workshop with teaching facilities. 

Focus is on producing ceramic tableware and decorative objects. Everything is handmade and only in small batches. Therefore you will often find new pieces on the shelves as they come out of the kiln.      

Each product is crafted from stoneware* clay with glazes that interact with the clay to give it a natural finish. Most pieces are made on the potter’s wheel, then trimmed and often carved with decorations. Products which are not round, like the oval vases, are formed from a slab of clay and built up by hand. The glaze is applied with a brush in three layers. All items are fired twice, a so-called bisque firing followed by a glaze firing.

*Stoneware is made from a particular clay which is fired at a temperature higher than 1,200°C. This results in a more durable material, with a denser, stone-like quality. The finished product will be waterproof.