SACRED VESSEL No. 05

Gallery NO. DV - 2026 - 05

Created July 2026

Not by Bread Alone

Handcrafted Orthodox Stoneware Fasting Bowl (soup, broth)

Not by Bread Alone is a one-of-a-kind stoneware bowl created for the quiet rhythms of the table and the deeper remembrance carried within them. Carved into the vessel are the Greek words Οὐκ ἐπ’ ἄρτῳ μόνῳ, Not by bread alone, words spoken by Christ during His temptation in the wilderness.

Within the Orthodox Christian tradition, these words carry particular resonance during the fasting seasons of the Church. Fasting is not merely the absence of certain foods, but a turning of the whole person toward God—a discipline intended to awaken prayer, repentance, mercy, and a deeper hunger for Christ.

Made as a functional vessel for the table, the bowl transforms an ordinary act of eating into an opportunity for remembrance.

This work belongs to The Sacred Collection, a curated body of stoneware bearing the language of the historic Greek Orthodox tradition, words of Scripture, prayer, and the ancient proclamations of the Church carried into clay.

The Inscription

Οὐκ ἐπ’ ἄρτῳ μόνῳNot by bread alone.

The inscription recalls the words of Christ:

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

In Orthodox life, the words speak naturally to the practice of fasting. The body may hunger, but fasting reminds the faithful that the deepest hunger of the human person cannot be satisfied by material things alone.

Carved into a vessel made to hold food, the inscription creates an intentional relationship between the object and its purpose, a quiet reminder at the table that physical nourishment is not the fullness of life.

Surface & Form

The bowl is individually formed by hand, preserving the subtle irregularities of its profile and softly undulating rim. Its surface carries warm, mineral tones of cream, earth, rust, and deep brown, creating the appearance of an object weathered by time and touched by fire.

The Greek inscription is carved directly into the clay, becoming an enduring part of the vessel rather than decoration applied to its surface.

Variations in glaze movement, pooling, color transition, and firing are preserved as part of the work, allowing the surface to remain organic and entirely individual.

Details

Collection: THE SACRED COLLECTION

Form: Handmade stoneware bowl

Material: High-fired stoneware

Inscription: Οὐκ ἐπ’ ἄρτῳ μόνῳ

Translation: Not by bread alone

Inscription Method: Individually carved into the clay

Dimensions: Approximately 2.5 in. high × 5.5 in. diameter

Capacity: Approximately 20–24 fl. oz.

Approximate Weight: 1.25–1.75 lb.

Approximate Packaged Shipping Weight: 2.5–3 lb.

Firing: High-fired to Cone 6

Origin: Handmade by DOM VECHERA

 The earliest works of DOM VECHERA bear DS, the original maker's mark used by Olga before the establishment of the House. These works retain the mark as part of their provenance.

YOUR PLACE AT THE TABLE