Set of 6 round plates, Makaïva wax print, mustard yellow and black-brown colors, all-over print

“Mè ka yi kou bo lè lè ko wa?” asks this Fon fabric: who has gone to the afterlife and returned to tell what they saw? No one.

On these round plates, black-brown branches, mustard-yellow leaves, and purple clusters cover the sea-green background; some pieces alternate with a yellow and purple checkerboard pattern, and white completes the color palette. Our tribute to the iconic “Makaïva” fabric is a reinterpretation, never a reproduction.

🍃 One pattern, a thousand names

The name Makaïva opens a story to be heard before looking at the plate. In the world of wax fabric, it is the market women and those who wear the fabrics who give their names to the patterns.

• Makaïva (Benin, Fon): “Mè ka yi kou bo lè lè ko wa?” asks who has gone to the afterlife and returned to tell what they saw; the answer is no one.

✨ What the pattern tells

Makaïva invites us to enjoy the present, since no one knows what lies beyond. It turns a piece of popular wisdom into a pattern and reminds us, whether given as a gift or chosen for ourselves, to savor the moment.

Our reinterpretation

On these round plates, the full pattern spreads branches and leaves across the entire surface; the colors are mustard yellow, black-brown, purple, sea-green, and white, with some pieces featuring a yellow and purple checkerboard pattern. The pieces are decorated to order in our Alfortville workshop, with the pattern prepared, applied, and glazed by hand before firing. They are presented in a 31 × 31 × 10 cm box, weighing approximately 3.5 kg.

At your table

In the soft light of late afternoon, on a natural-toned textile tablecloth, these plates create a joyfully mismatched table setting for your guests. As a gift, the Makaïva pattern reminds us to enjoy the present, since no one knows what lies beyond.

Features

• Contents: 6 plates of your choice: 2 large, 2 dessert, and 2 deep plates, or 3 large and 3 dessert plates, at the same price (photos: 3 + 3 version).
• Colors: mustard yellow, black-brown, purple, sea-green, and white.
• Material: porcelain.
• Large plate: Ø 27 cm, height 3.1 cm.
• Dessert plate: Ø 21 cm, height 2.5 cm.
• Deep plate: Ø 19 cm, height 5.5 cm.
• Box: 1 box measuring 31 × 31 × 10 cm, approximately 3.5 kg.
• Personalization: colors, first name, date, or short message upon request; choice of composition.
• In case of breakage: individual replacement possible (same pattern, same dimensions), provided the shape remains available in the catalog.
• In the same pattern: coffee cup; box of 6 round plates.

Write to us to personalize your Makaïva box and bring this invitation to enjoy the present to your table.