Final firing from Leonie’s shed • Only 73 left of each pattern • Going fast
Leonie's Hand-Painted Olive Oil Dispenser
Leonie's Hand-Painted Olive Oil Dispenser
Dispatched within 1–2 days
90-day money-back guarantee
Free shipping Australia-wide with tracking
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Leonie's Hand-Painted Olive Oil Dispenser
Thrown & painted by hand in Maldon, Victoria
The oil bottle that keeps the light out, stands its ground and never drips down the side.
A heavy, hand-thrown clay dispenser with a pulled handle and a self-closing steel spout, painted with one of three flowers from Leonie’s garden. Made for the benchtop next to your stove, not for the back of the cupboard.
The last 219 from the final firing“Your olive oil isn’t bad. Your bottle is.” — Leonie
Made by hand in a tin shed in Victoria
Leonie Prowse painted plates and jugs in the decorating room of a Bendigo pottery from 1972 until 1983. A year later she set up a second-hand kick wheel and a small kiln in the old corrugated-iron shed behind her house in Maldon.
In 1988 her husband Keith’s olive oil started tasting “like crayons” in its clear glass bottle on the windowsill. Two weeks later he knocked the bottle off the sill. The next morning Leonie threw him an oil bottle out of clay, heavy at the bottom, with a handle and a spout that doesn’t drip. Neighbours asked for “one like Keith’s” for 38 years.
Arthritis in her shoulder means she can no longer centre the clay on the wheel. These are the last dispensers she will make.
— Leonie Prowse
Choose your pattern
Wild Rose
White wild roses with a soft pink blush on a grassy white ground, a yellow zig-zag border and a dark bottle-green handle. The old roses along the back fence.
Red Poppy
One big red poppy with yellow daisies and blue forget-me-nots, a small butterfly and dragonfly, and a band of cobalt-blue flowers at the foot. Cobalt handle.
Native Hibiscus
Big pink and sky-blue blossoms with red berries, painted all the way round from neck to foot. Cobalt handle. The flowers by the water tank every summer.
No two are exactly alike. Every flower is painted with a brush, so leaves, petals and borders vary a little from one dispenser to the next.
What arrives at your door
- 1 hand-thrown, hand-painted clay oil dispenser in the pattern you choose
- 1 stainless steel pour spout with a self-closing black flip cap, already fitted and tested over Leonie’s sink
- Packed in paper and a sturdy box, so it arrives in one piece
Oil is not included. Fill it with the olive oil you already have.
How to use it
- Pull the steel spout straight up out of the neck.
- Fill the dispenser with olive oil or cooking oil. A small funnel makes it easy.
- Press the spout back in until it sits firmly.
- Hold it by the handle and tilt. The flap opens by itself, and a thin, steady stream comes out of the spout.
- Set it down. The flap falls shut, so dust and flies stay out.
Six things that make it different
NO. 01
The dark clay body
Thick, glazed clay, painted all the way round. Light can’t get to the oil, so the dispenser can stay out on the benchtop.
NO. 02
The low belly
The weight sits in the wide, round bottom. A bump with an elbow makes it wobble, not fall.
NO. 03
The pulled handle
A loop handle with room for three fingers. You pour like from a little jug, even with stiff or oily hands.
NO. 04
The self-closing spout
Stainless steel with a black flap that opens when you tilt and closes when you set it down.
NO. 05
The clean stop
A thin, steady stream that stops clean. No drop running down the side, no greasy ring on the benchtop.
NO. 06
Painted by hand
Every flower is brushed on by Leonie before the glaze firing. Pretty enough to leave next to the stove.
A clear glass bottle vs. Leonie’s dispenser
| Clear glass bottle | Leonie’s dispenser | |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Lets the sun straight into the oil | Thick clay keeps the light out |
| Standing | Tall and top-heavy, tips easily | Low, heavy belly that stays put |
| Pouring | Drips down the side | Thin stream, clean stop |
| Between uses | Open spout, dust and flies | Flap closes by itself |
| Grip | Slippery, narrow neck | Loop handle for three fingers |
| On the benchtop | Ends up in the cupboard | Hand-painted, made to be seen |
From someone who cooked with oil every day
“Light and heat are what wear olive oil out. And most people keep it in a clear bottle right beside the stove, which is about the worst spot in the house. A dark, heavy container with a spout that closes is what we always used in the restaurant kitchen.”
Tony Calleri, retired chef, ran restaurant kitchens in Melbourne for 31 years
Perfect for
The Prowse guarantee
90 days to try it at home
Use it by your stove for three months. If it isn’t the best oil bottle you’ve owned, send a short email to info@craft-folk.com and you get your money back. No questions, no hassle.
Good to know
- Dishwasher safe. Take the steel spout out first and rinse it by hand with warm water.
- Rinse the steel spout now and then with warm water so the flap keeps moving freely.
- Glazed clay is heavier than glass. That is what keeps it standing.
- Because every piece is thrown and painted by hand, small differences in shape and brushwork are normal.
- Dispatched within 1–2 business days with tracking. Free shipping Australia-wide.
Product details
| Made by | Leonie Prowse, Maldon, Victoria |
| Material | Hand-thrown glazed clay, hand-painted |
| Spout | Stainless steel pour spout with self-closing flip cap |
| Height | About 25 cm (9.8 in) including the spout |
| Width | About 12.5 cm (4.9 in) including the handle |
| Patterns | Wild Rose, Red Poppy, Native Hibiscus |
| Care | Dishwasher safe (rinse the steel spout by hand) |
| Shipping | Dispatched within 1–2 business days, free shipping Australia-wide |
| Guarantee | 90-day money-back guarantee |
The Last Firing
The Last Firing
A note from Maldon:
In 1988 Leonie Prowse’s husband Keith knocked his clear glass olive oil bottle off the windowsill, and the oil in it had started to taste like crayons anyway. The next morning she threw him a heavy oil bottle out of clay, with a handle and a spout that doesn’t drip. For 38 years she made them in the old tin shed behind the house. Arthritis in her shoulder means she can no longer centre the clay on the wheel. The 219 dispensers from her final firing are the last, 73 of each pattern. On 31 December the wheel goes to the art room of the secondary college in Castlemaine.
Free Shipping
Free Shipping
Free shipping across Australia
- Dispatched within 1–2 business days
- Delivery time: 7–14 business days
- Every dispenser is checked and packed by hand
- 1 hand-painted clay oil dispenser with stainless steel self-closing pour spout, about 25 cm tall and 12.5 cm wide with the handle
- Oil not included · dishwasher safe (rinse the steel spout by hand)
- 90-day money-back guarantee — just email info@craft-folk.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? Here's how to reach us.
Got a question? Here's how to reach us.
My granddaughter Tayla and I personally answer every single email — as fast as we possibly can. Whether you have a question about your order or just want to tell us where your oil dispenser ended up, we're here.
You can reach us:
- Mon – Fri: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Melbourne time)
- Saturday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Melbourne time)
Email: info@craft-folk.com
Can I return my order if I don't like it?
Can I return my order if I don't like it?
Of course. We stand behind everything on Craft Folk 100%. If you're not happy, neither are we. Just shoot us an email within 90 days and we'll make it right — no hassle, no headaches.
How are your products made?
How are your products made?
Every single product on Craft Folk is 100% handmade — crafted by hand, using only premium quality materials. We're proud to carry on a tradition of craftsmanship that has been passed down through generations.