ASHIMA

In the Shilin region, in the south-west of China, those are not trees sticking out of the ground like stalagmites in a cave, but imposing filiform rocks that create the illusion of a stone forest. This forest, which has been proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage site, inspired Leonardo to create a ceramic stone with a rough appearance – strongly characterised by ripples, furrows, and marks made by the weather and the passage of time – but with a soft core and smooth surface that is distinguished by differences in light refraction on the surface of each piece.