Wild-harvested clay from Mount Jerusalem, Northern Rivers NSW
A Sculptural Basin Handcrafted from Wild Australian Clay
Each sink basin begins its life on Mt. Jerusalem, where volcanic earth, stone, and minerals collect in rich pockets of wild clay. Harvested by hand and shaped on the wheel in small batches, every basin is a unique expression of landscape and craftsmanship, a functional artwork designed to transform a bathroom into a calming, natural sanctuary.
These pieces are created slowly, intentionally, and without compromise. The clay’s raw character is preserved in the finished form, allowing soft organic curves, warm earthy tones, and subtle variations to make each basin truly one-of-a-kind. Fired to strength and sealed for daily use, they are both sculptural and enduring.
Perfect for homes, architectural projects, and interior spaces where authenticity, materiality, and artistry matter.
Clay we dig ourselves
Most ceramic basins begin with a bag of clay that arrives by truck, the same body used in every studio that orders it. Ours begins with a shovel.
The clay comes from pockets in the land here on Mt Jerusalem, where volcanic earth and weathered stone have been breaking down into it for a very long time. Most of it comes out of the drainage ditch along the driveway, which has to be cleared each season so the rain can run off the road and into the forest. Nothing is quarried, nothing is trucked in, and no ground is opened that wasn't already being worked. What comes out is dried, broken down, slaked, sieved three times and blended in the studio before any of it reaches the wheel. That preparation takes weeks before a basin is even begun.
What comes out the other side is clay that carries iron, sand and minerals from one specific hillside. It carries more character into the fire, and the glazes answer it differently. The speckling, the warmth in the surface, the way no two glazes sit quite the same. That's the ground showing through, and it's the reason each basin is genuinely one of a kind rather than nominally so.
Every piece is then fired in our gas kiln to cone 10 in reduction, around 1300°C, which vitrifies the clay to full strength and gives the glazes their depth. It's a long, hands-on firing, and it's the point where the kiln has the final say.
The clay and glazes are tested and food safe.
Download Sink Basin Catalogue with testimonials below.
"Working with Ben to create a custom basin for our extensive renovation of a 1956 Olympic-era home in Heidelberg West was such a pleasure and an absolute honour. After seeing examples of Ben’s work, we knew he was the right person to create something truly special for our home.
From the beginning, Ben was incredibly open and receptive to our ideas, needs and design requirements. He took the time to understand not only what we wanted, but also the history and new identity of the house, and incorporated all of this beautifully into the design.
The shape of the basin is completely bespoke, while the colour and texture complement our bathroom perfectly. It has become much more than a functional piece — it’s a real work of art and a feature of the room. And the best part? No one else will have a basin quite like ours!
We couldn’t be happier with the result. Thank you, Ben, for your creativity, craftsmanship and for creating such a unique piece for our home."
Best,
Alex and Aiden
Core Collection — Handcrafted Round Basins
Each basin in our Core Collection is handcrafted from locally wild-harvested clay, carefully refined by hand before being shaped, glazed, and gas-fired in our studio.
This process from digging and preparing the clay to the final firing, creates sinks with a depth, texture, and presence that cannot be replicated with commercial materials. Every piece carries subtle variations that speak to its handmade nature and the landscape it comes from.
Designed to suit a wide range of bathrooms while still offering a sense of quiet luxury, these basins balance function, durability, and natural beauty.
Details
Wild-harvested local clay
Hand-formed and gas-fired
Durable, bathroom-safe glazes
Each piece is one of a kind
Prices
30–33cm → $950
34–36cm → $1,050
38–41cm → $1,150
42–46cm → $1,250
Signature Collection — Sculptural & Custom Basins
The Signature Collection explores more expressive forms, ovals, elongated profiles, and sculptural shapes that require additional time, technical control, and design consideration.
These pieces are ideal if you are seeking a statement sink that anchors a space. The process often involves multiple forming stages and refined glaze layering to achieve depth and balance. Because of their complexity, no two Signature sinks are ever the same.
Details
Sculptural and custom forms
Extended making and firing process
Limited availability
Ideal for feature bathrooms and design-led spaces
Price
From $1,450 AUD -
Custom Projects Priced On Application
Collector Series — Collaborative Edition
COLECTA × Wild Nature Clay
Designed by Colecta and made by Ben Ruble.
The COLECTA Design Series brings Colecta’s distinct form & architectural language and is brought to life through Wild Nature Clay’s meticulous handmade craft, utilising our own hand-harvested natural clay.
Produced in strictly limited batches, the series unites Colecta’s design aesthetic with elemental material and enduring craftsmanship.
The Collector Series is released exclusively through COLECTA.
* For prices, please visit COLECTA’s website at Colecta.com.au
For architects, designers and builders
We supply handmade ceramic sinks and basins to architectural practices, interior designers, builders and hospitality projects across Australia, from single feature bathrooms to multi-room specifications..
Bespoke work is welcome. Form, size, glaze and surface can all be developed to suit a project, and we're glad to work from drawings, mood boards or a site visit. Ben handles every commission personally, so you speak to the maker rather than a sales desk. We'd rather start with one basin and build from there than quote a project we can't do properly.
Specification
- Standard 40mm waste hole; other configurations by arrangement
- Sizes from 30cm to 46cm in the Core Collection; custom dimensions on request
- Dimensional tolerance ±1cm against the agreed design. As-built dimensions are measured and supplied exactly
- Fired to cone 10 reduction, vitrified and sealed for commercial bathroom use
- Basins are made as above-counter vessels. Semi-recessed and undermount considered case by case
- Installation by the client's plumber; we supply the basin only
Terms
- Trade pricing: 20% on basins, for practising interior designers, architects and builders (ABN required)
- Lead time: 6 to 12 weeks from deposit, depending on order size and the current studio schedule, confirmed at quoting
- Payment: 50% deposit to commence, balance on completion. Larger specification orders by staged schedule, typically 30% deposit, 40% at production midpoint, 30% before dispatch
- Design changes after making has begun are re-quoted for materials and additional studio time
- Quotes valid 30 days
- Sample glaze colour tiles available from the shop, $10 each
On glaze and surface
Dimensions are made to the agreed design and held within tolerance. Where a handmade basin differs from a manufactured one is the glaze: clay carrying iron and minerals from one hillside, fired in a gas kiln, gives every surface its own depth and speckle. Across a multi-basin specification that's what makes a room read as commissioned rather than fitted out. If a project needs the closest possible match between pieces, say so at quoting stage and we'll plan the making and firing around it.
Ready to talk about a project? Get in touch.
How your basin travels
Most couriers exclude ceramics from transit insurance. Rather than rely on cover we can't get, we rely on packing.
Each basin is bubble-wrapped, bedded in hay inside an inner carton, then packed inside a second outer carton with hay filling the gap between the two. Hay moves with an impact instead of transmitting it, which is why it's still the best material for this after several hundred years of people finding out the hard way. Every basin we've sent packed this way has arrived intact.
For larger consignments and specification orders we use a furniture removalist rather than a courier: goods blanket-wrapped, hand-handled, and covered by transit insurance. It costs more per basin. On a project with a handover date, it's the cheaper option.
Freight
- Single basin, anywhere in Australia, $95 flat
- Two to five basins, quoted at cost
- Six or more, and all specification orders, quoted per project
- Insured freight available on request for any order
Questions about ordering, care or workshops? Read the FAQ.