• Overlapping split-leg design for coverage and mobility at the pottery wheel
• Adjustable, removable cross-back cotton straps with full-grain leather ends
• Divided bib pocket keeps pottery tools close at hand
• Large kangaroo-style pocket
• Designed for seated and standing studio work
• Small-batch handmade in Omaha, Nebraska
• Made in USA

WHY BELGIAN LINEN?

Some of the world's finest flax is grown in the coastal region stretching from northern France through Belgium and into the Netherlands. The mild climate and rich soil are particularly well suited to producing tall, strong flax plants with long fibers.

Those fibers are what make exceptional linen possible. Unlike many fiber crops, flax is pulled from the ground rather than cut, preserving as much of the fiber's natural length as possible. After retting and processing, the longest fibers are separated and spun into fine, strong linen yarn.

Longer fibers mean fewer joins in the yarn and contribute to a smoother, stronger, more durable woven cloth—the qualities that have given Belgian linen its reputation as one of the world's great working textiles.

Our linen is woven in Belgium by Libeco, a mill that has specialized in linen since 1858. The result is a fabric with remarkable strength, breathability, absorbency, and texture—and one that becomes softer and more personal with years of use.

WOVEN IN BELGIUM BY LIBECO

Our linen is woven by Libeco, a Belgian mill that has specialized in linen since 1858.

Libeco works exclusively with Western European flax and is one of only a handful of weavers permitted to carry the Belgian Linen™ quality label—a designation for linen woven in Belgium from predominantly European flax and independently monitored for quality, traceability, and authenticity.

From selecting the yarn through weaving, finishing, and final inspection, generations of specialized knowledge go into producing this cloth.

It is an extraordinary material. Which is exactly why we wanted to make a working apron from it.

LINEN, PUT TO WORK

Linen is often treated as something precious—reserved for fine clothing, bedding, and table linens. But its origins are firmly rooted in utility.

Its natural strength, absorbency, breathability, and resistance to wear make linen exceptionally well suited to the pottery studio. It has substance without feeling cumbersome and becomes softer and more comfortable as it's washed, worn, and worked in.

This isn't linen chosen because it's precious.

It's linen chosen because it works.

BUILT FOR WORK AT THE POTTERY WHEEL

A conventional apron works well when you're standing at a workbench. Working at a pottery wheel is different.

Our No.412 Ceramicist Apron was designed specifically for the seated position of a potter at the wheel. Its overlapping split-leg construction allows each side of the apron to fall naturally over your legs as you sit, providing coverage where a conventional straight apron tends to bunch, pull, or leave your legs exposed.

The result is a pottery apron that moves with you rather than against you—whether you're throwing at the wheel, wedging clay, glazing, trimming, or moving around the studio.

REMOVABLE CROSS-BACK STRAPS

The No.412 uses adjustable cotton cross-back straps that distribute the apron across the shoulders rather than hanging its weight from the neck. Full-grain leather finishes the strap ends and reinforces the attachment points.

The straps can be completely removed for laundering and replaced independently if they eventually wear out. It's a small detail, but an important part of how we design: a working product should be kept in service rather than discarded because one component fails.

POCKETS WHERE THEY'RE USEFUL

A divided pocket across the front bib keeps frequently used pottery tools close at hand without adding unnecessary bulk around your lap.

Behind the bib is a larger kangaroo-style pocket for the things that don't fit neatly into smaller compartments.

Like the rest of the apron, the pocket layout is intentionally straightforward. We want an apron to support the work—not compete with it.

BELGIAN LINEN. MADE IN OMAHA.

Libeco weaves the linen in Belgium. We cut and sew each No.412 in small batches in our Omaha, Nebraska studio.

ARTIFACT has been making purpose-built bags, aprons, and accessories since 2010. We believe exceptional materials are most valuable when they're actually used.

So don't save this apron for something special.

Get clay on it.

• 100% Libeco Belgian linen on 12oz
• Cotton webbing straps with full-grain leather ends

CARE

Remove straps before washing. Machine wash cold with mild detergent. Do not bleach. Line dry. The linen will soften and develop character with washing and use.

37.5" Long x 30" Wide