Odeon

Located in the Watershed market at the V&A Waterfront, this tableware store is known for lovely handmade ceramics and unique, locally made housewares. Founded by the husband-and-wife team behind Cape Town’s international design fair GUILD, Odeon offers a well-curated selection of items from artisanal brands like Wonki Ware, Ngwenya Glass and Ginger Cat. Our favorite items are from Wonki Ware. Di Marshall started her ceramics company in her hometown of George on South Africa’s Garden Route as a way to keep busy while her children were at school, and it has grown into a socially responsible business success story. When a Xhosa man named Artwel came by the pottery studio on her farm looking for work, she taught him about clay and found he was skilled at copying her designs and creating his own. What began as an accidental meeting of these two and a painter has expanded into a ceramics company that now employs more than 70 people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and their work graces tables from Cape Town to California. The organic shapes and colors strike the right balance of handcrafted beauty without being fussy, so they can work for casual or formal dining.