beautiful handcrafted originals
made from durable stoneware
Forty thousand years in the making
Applying colour and decoration to stone is an ancient art. In Southern France and Spain, cave paintings dating back many thousands of years depict extraordinary scenes of mammoth, bear, lion, rhinoceros and bison. While on the other side of the globe, Australian rock art survives today as the world’s longest continuous artistic tradition. It is with this inspiration that Bison was born – still putting colour and decoration on stone some 40,000 years later.
Bison Homewares was founded by principal designer Brian Tunks. After attending school in Scandinavia and Australia, Brian trained in classics and archaeology at the Australian National University. It was during his work on ancient Greco-Roman excavations in the Middle East that Brian developed his love for ceramics, both early and modern. Every day he unearthed incredible artefacts – decorative vessels, domestic bowls and pottery shards – all of which spoke of ancient lives and skilled artisans. It quickly became clear that ceramics were one of the most significant and enduring symbols of great civilisations, lasting long after the civilisations that created them had crumbled.
Thank you for exploring this authentic piece of Bison tradition. Bison stoneware ceramics are beautiful, handcrafted, and durable. They are produced with modern designs and materials by artisans using experience and knowledge accumulated over the millennia. Where will your Bison be in a thousand years?
Caring for the environment
Bison products are non-disposable and extremely durable. Our aim is that your Bison will last a lifetime. Bison uses recycled packaging materials and we use renewable energy sources to run our kilns and facilities. We also recycle paper and other office consumables. Our ceramics come from the earth - and caring for the earth is our priority.
Caring for your bison
Genuine Bison ceramics are lead-free and food-safe. They can be used in the oven, microwave and dishwasher.
Bison products are made from fine Australian stoneware clay. However, even stoneware is breakable and will show signs of wear and tear eventually. You can greatly extend the life and beauty of your Bison ceramic product by taking some simple precautions. Exposing ceramics to rapid extreme temperature changes can reduce their life. Gradual warming and cooling is best. If you heat your Bison ceramics in the oven, be careful that a sudden cold shock doesn’t cause them to crack. Avoid plunging an extremely hot item into icy conditions or vice versa. Avoid putting a hot dish from the oven directly onto a cold bench top.
Repeated contact with hard edges might cause marking or chipping. We suggest you avoid striking the edges of ceramic items and try not to let them vibrate against each other in the dishwasher. Cracks can provide a haven for bacteria and using cracked or crazed ceramics for food is not recommended. Bison glazes are highly stain resistant. Stubborn marks can usually be removed with ceramic cook top cleaner.
When placing objects on furniture you should take care to avoid scratching. The foot ring of Bison ceramics is left unglazed during production and we later sand the base to smooth off any irregularities. It is quite safe to use fine sandpaper to do additional smoothing.
Special thanks
To David Plummer for the photography and the web site design. To the talented artisans and staff at Bison: Leanne Percival, Nick Smith, Debra Boyd-Goggin, Yvonne Barnes, Cathy Franzi, Sarah Nelson, Alicia Kane and Nicholas Mikhailovich. To Nina and Darryl at 'Double Shot Cafe' in Deakin, ACT for their delicious muffins!
Banjo, Auntie Julie, Uncle Andrew, Beth & Brian at
La Guarida Restaurant, Havana, Cuba, Christmas 2006
Brian Tunks & the Bison Australia Team
P.O. Box 9575, Deakin,
Australian Capital Territory, 2600
Tel: +61 2 62577 255
Fax: +61 2 62577 004
info@bisonhome.com
www.bisonhome.com
manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer of fine australian stoneware products
Bison products are available from selected retailers in Europe, the USA, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia. Please contact us to locate a retailer near you.
You can also visit the Bison workshop in Australia and purchase directly from our store or you can shop online.
Contact us for wholesale details and to become a wholesaler. Orders are subject to Bison's standard terms and conditions.
Measurements and glaze colours are a guide only. Bison products are hand crafted and small variations are normal.
Photography and web design by David Plummer.
© Bison Australia 2007