Stephen Fleitz ceramics at Living Room

Operating from studios in Venice and San Francisco, Stephen Fleitz strikes a dramatic chord with his sculptural ceramics. Festooned with beautifully rendered butterflies and piglets that look as if they came from a dusty natural history book and topped with a lifelike schnauzer dripping with glaze, the covered bowl shown here ($495) is even vaguely functional -- as a dog cookie jar, perhaps? This and other Fleitz pieces are available at Living Room, 3531 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 665-5070, livingroomhome.com.

-- David A. Keeps