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If you've ever found yourself stopping mid-scroll at a cabbage-shaped bowl and thinking where do I get one of those? — you've found the right place. At Villarosa Maison in Nelson, we've been quietly building one of the largest in-store Bordallo Pinheiro collections in New Zealand, and it is genuinely one of the great joys of running this shop.
That includes the full signature cabbage range, the fruit and nature collections, limited seasonal pieces — and, for those who know to look for it, the Claudia Schiffer Gudrun collaboration: a complete dinner service designed by the supermodel herself, available in New Zealand right here.
This guide covers everything you need to know before you buy: the story behind the brand, which pieces to start with, how the collections work, how to care for them, and why these Portuguese ceramics feel so completely at home on a New Zealand table. Whether you're a first-time buyer or an avid collector hunting a particular piece, read on.
Rosanna first encountered Bordallo Pinheiro the way most people do — she saw a cabbage plate at a dinner party and had to know where it came from. That was the beginning of what has become one of Villarosa's most-loved and most-requested ranges.
Part of the appeal is the story. Bordallo Pinheiro was founded in 1884 in the Portuguese town of Caldas da Rainha by Rafael Bordallo Pinheiro — a celebrated artist and satirist who turned his illustrator's eye to ceramics. The factory still operates on the same site today, still uses many of the original moulds (called madres), and still hand-finishes every piece in the same tradition. Over 140 years of continuous production, and the cabbage plate hasn't lost a single leaf.
The other part of the appeal is more immediate: these pieces make people genuinely happy. They have personality. They start conversations. They make a simple weeknight dinner feel like something worth sitting down for. In a world of beige, minimalist tableware, Bordallo Pinheiro is a joyful counterpoint — and New Zealanders, with our love of outdoor entertaining and table-as-gathering-place, take to them immediately.
We stock well over 100 Bordallo Pinheiro pieces at any one time, from entry-level snack bowls under $50 to showstopping tureens and platters. New pieces arrive throughout the year, and seasonal and limited editions sell fast — often within days of landing.
This is where most people begin, and for good reason. The deep-veined, leaf-sculpted pieces in glossy green are the image most people have in mind when they think of Bordallo Pinheiro. At Villarosa we carry the full depth of this range: the small 12cm and 15cm bowls (perfect as snack dishes or for dips), the classic Cabbage Dinner Plate, salad bowls, lidded tureens in 0.2L, 0.4L and 3L Sizes, and large platters.
We also carry the Beige Cabbage colour way — a softer, more neutral take on the same leaf forms that pairs beautifully with natural linens and earthy table settings. It's a subtler choice for those who love the sculptural quality but want something a little quieter.
Start here if: you're new to the brand and want pieces that layer easily with what you already own.
This is the one that stops people in their tracks when they come into the store — and rightly so. The Gudrun collection is Claudia Schiffer's collaboration with Bordallo Pinheiro: a complete dinner service in the brand's signature earthenware tradition, but with Schiffer's own design sensibility woven through every piece. The palette is earthy and warm — creams, rich browns, and organic tones that feel simultaneously luxurious and liveable.
At Villarosa we carry the full Gudrun table setting: the Dinner Plate, Dessert Plate, Soup Plate, Leaf Bread and Butter Plate, and the Charger Plate. Together they make one of the most distinctive dinner services available in New Zealand — a complete table that is, in the truest sense, a collector's set.
Schiffer's connection to Bordallo Pinheiro began when Portuguese friends gifted her a ceramic cheese plate, and she became a devoted collector before approaching the factory to collaborate. The Gudrun name carries a quiet, Nordic elegance that contrasts beautifully with the brand's Portuguese roots — and the result is something neither could have made alone.
We also stock the Bordallo Pinheiro Cloudy Butterflies Wall Piece (29cm) from Schiffer's earlier collaboration — a statement piece for the wall rather than the table, hand-finished with the delicate butterfly motif that defines the Cloudy Butterflies series.
Start here if: you want a genuinely collectible dinner service, or a gift that will be remembered for years.
The strawberry range is one of our most popular with gift buyers. The red is vivid and luscious — the 24cm Strawberry Oval Bowl or the Strawberry Fruit Plate (20cm) is the kind of piece that gets set out and immediately becomes the talking point of the table. We also stock the Strawberry Bowl (18.5cm), giving you options from an individual serving piece to a centerpiece platter.
Start here if: you want something bold that works beautifully as a standalone gift or statement piece.
If the cabbage collection is Bordallo at its most exuberant, Rua Nova is Bordallo with a quieter confidence. Inspired by the tiles of Lisbon, these pieces have a blue-and-white aesthetic that feels fresh and contemporary while still being unmistakably Portuguese. At Villarosa we stock the Rua Nova Mug in Indigo and the Rua Nova Bowl in Morning Blue (currently on sale).
Start here if: you love the brand but want something that sits more comfortably alongside minimalist or Scandi-influenced interiors.
This is the range that tends to surprise people who think they know Bordallo Pinheiro. The Grove Hare Mug, Hunting Pheasant Mug, and Hunting Boar Mug are richly illustrated pieces with a more muted, countryside palette — browns, greens, and ochres. In a similar spirit, the Acorn Bowl with Lid is one of our most charming pieces: the kind of thing that sits on a kitchen shelf and makes visitors pick it up every time. For something bolder, the Fox Platter (40cm) is a showstopper — a large serving piece that doubles as wall art, with the fox rendered in Bordallo's characteristic sculptural detail.
These nature-inspired pieces are beautiful displayed on open shelving and make exceptional gifts for people who love the outdoors, the garden, or anything with a touch of the wild.
Start here if: you're buying a gift for someone who loves the garden, country living, or natural history.
Throughout the year we receive specialty pieces — egg cups (including the wonderful whole-chick eggshell design), the Bee Pot, leaf-and-snail serving dishes, and seasonal arrivals. These pieces tend to be limited and move quickly. If you're looking for something particular, it's always worth getting in touch with us directly or signing up to our newsletter to be notified when new stock arrives.
Our Bordallo Pinheiro range spans a wide price bracket, which is one of the things that makes it so accessible as both a personal purchase and a gift.
There's almost always something beautiful under $80, which is a sweet spot for gifting — distinctive, beautifully made, and at a price that feels generous without being extravagant.
The best thing about these pieces is that they don't require a complete tablescape overhaul to work. A single cabbage bowl placed among plain white plates changes the whole feeling of a table. Here are a few approaches we love:
Let the Bordallo piece be the hero. If your main plates are matte oatmeal or white, a Bordallo Cabbage Pitcher or tureen in the centre of the table does all the work. The contrast makes both things look better.
A strawberry platter loves a faded red linen; a green cabbage bowl sings alongside brass candlesticks and olive-toned napkins. Look for colours already in the ceramic and echo them loosely through the rest of the table.
The Claudia Schiffer dinner service doesn't need to arrive all at once. Start with the Gudrun Charger Plates and add pieces occasion by occasion — it's one of those sets that rewards patience and becomes more beautiful the more complete it gets.
These are not display-cabinet ceramics. A small cabbage bowl beside the stove for olive oil, a larger bowl always on the table for fruit — the more they're used, the more they feel like they belong.
Place a large cabbage charger under a plain soup bowl and the table instantly looks dressed. A strawberry platter holding a wheel of brie and crackers at a gathering requires zero further decoration.
For more French-inspired entertaining ideas, take a look at our guide to French Country homewares, which features Bordallo Pinheiro alongside our La Rochère glassware and wider kitchen and entertaining collection.
These are hardworking ceramics, not precious heirlooms to be wrapped in cotton wool. A few simple habits will keep them looking beautiful for decades.
In a word: yes. Consistently one of our most-requested gift suggestions, Bordallo Pinheiro works for almost everyone and almost every occasion — housewarming, birthday, wedding, Christmas, Mother's Day.
A few gift combinations that always land well:
We can also help with gift wrapping in-store if you're visiting us at 62 Montgomery Square in Nelson.
Yes. All pieces use lead-free glazes that meet EU food-contact standards and are safe for everyday use.
Every piece is still made in the original Caldas da Rainha factory in Portugal, about 90 minutes north of Lisbon.
Look for the "Bordallo Pinheiro • Portugal" back-stamp on the base. Genuine pieces have visible glaze depth and texture — the veining is part of the glaze, not a printed decal. The base foot will be unglazed terracotta.
Absolutely — get in touch at sales@villarosanz.co.nz and we'll do our best to source it or let you know when it's next expected in stock.
Yes. We deliver to all addresses across New Zealand. See our shipping page for details.
There is something about Bordallo Pinheiro that photographs can't quite capture — the weight of a tureen lid, the depth of green in the cabbage glaze, the warmth of the Gudrun dinner service laid out on a table. If you're in Nelson, come into the shop at 62 Montgomery Square and handle them for yourself. We almost always have the full range on display, and we love talking through which pieces suit which kitchens.
If you're shopping from further afield, our online store carries the full range with regular new arrivals. Browse the collection below, and if you have any questions at all — about a specific piece, a gift idea, or building a set over time — we're always happy to help.
Shop the full Bordallo Pinheiro range at Villarosa Maison →
Villarosa Maison is one of New Zealand's largest stockists of Bordallo Pinheiro ceramics, with over 100 pieces available in-store and online — including the Claudia Schiffer Gudrun collection. We're based at 62 Montgomery Square, Nelson, and ship nationwide.
