Asparagus Platter

Melissa Bridgman keeps a garden in midtown Memphis and paints what comes out of it. These platters are the result — asparagus spears with their tips stippled in one small mark at a time. The shape does the practical work. Long and narrow, it's the right dish for the vegetables that never quite fit anywhere — roasted asparagus straight off the sheet pan with a little salt and lemon. Each platter is slab-built by hand, painted freehand in underglaze, and finished with a food-safe glaze. Melissa has been at the wheel since 2000 and still paints every piece herself, which is why no two asparagus (asparagii?) ever sit the same way.