Red stoneware, ~5″d, 2.5″h. Layered glazes, paper resist, cone 10 reduction

 There are actually six of them in this set. And here is the big momma:

White stoneware, wheel-thrown and altered, wood-fired cone10-11

This box was thrown on the wheel in one piece, then squared with a paddle and by a gentle directional slamming against the table. The feet and handles were added and the lid cut off when leatherhard. After bisquing the inside surfaces were glazed and the outside left unglazed.

Serving dish, white stoneware, thrown and altered, wood fired

Here is the serving dish I made after I visited Nick Joerling‘s workshop at the Bascom (NC) last summer. Nick was amazing (super informative and encouraging), workshop was a great experience, and the place itself is worth seeing – great modern facility beautifully designed and fit into the surrounding nature so flawlessly. I would love to come back there (despite the ~12-hour drive). They have great summer workshop program.

This piece was made in attempt to copy Nick’s technique (you can see his original piece here). I think it worked the way I intended. I was very interested in throwing-and-altering techniques, and Nick’s are the ones that give specific freedom and movement to the process of building as well as to the shape of the final form.  I modified the feet though (made them more subdued and girly). Wood firing nicely complements the organic shape. More pieces from this series are coming up in the next posts.

Tea set, slab built porcelain, cone 10 reduction

Here is the complete tea set that includes teapot, sugar and creamer, four cups and saucers, and a small serving dish.

Saucers, slab built porcelain, cone 10 reduction

Teapot, ~11"w 5.5"d 9"h, slab built porcelain, cone 10 reduction

Here is the finished teapot in its full glory. It’s been a while since my last post. I was busy building new pieces and experimenting with glazes. I wanted to make sure that the glaze I use on this teapot will compliment the form and highlight the carved design. And the pressure was high because it’s not just a single teapot. The full tea set is coming up in my next post.

Obviously it was not wood-fired but I made a few pieces that I was fortunate to have fired in a wood kiln. I will display them in my future posts.

Teapot, ~11x9x6", slab built, porcelain, unfired

As usual, summer is taking its course and we are busy with traveling, gardening, taking care of the house (all that, of course, in addition to going to full–time jobs). I’ve been also working on a few ceramic pieces, including a series of cups to improve my throwing skills, and this teapot. It’s inspired by my previous success with the slab-built teapot (see earlier post) and Frank Gehry’s expressive curves. It took about 6 weeks to dry it evenly, and still the handle cracked a little. I hope it survives the bisquing. I am planning on wood-firing it later this summer.

Finally, my first series of platters are out of the kiln. Very exciting! I started working on these several months ago. Each one took about a week to dry, and then painting and sanding… I couldn’t wait to finally see them finished. Out of 15 that were fired in this kiln load, 3 were a complete waste – warped so badly they are not even worth saving. One lost the top layer of color. Some colors turned out odd. But all in all they turned out really nice. I am now making a few critical adjustments to avoid mistakes learned. I’d like to make enough to be able to arrange them in a wall installation that will reflect a look into the tight interdependent existence of seemingly incompatible functional and sculptural objects. Here are some of the most successful pieces. Click on the individual images to enlarge.

Teapot approx. 10"h, 8.5"d, 4.5"w, cups approx. 3.5"x3.5"x3.5", slab built stoneware, cone 10 reduction

This tea set is inspired by Sam Chung’s wonderful curvy ewers and tea pots. I am fascinated with curves and love incorporating them into my work. This project was a great pleasure to work on. The teapot and cups were slab built from white stoneware. The knob on the lid is glass.

Footed vessel. Approx.12" high x 8.5" wide. Stoneware, reduction cone 10, dipped and sprayed glazes; paper resist

It’s been awhile since my last post. Suddenly life got busy, with classes, shows, committees, birthday parties, and other wonderful events all happening at the same time. I was pushing myself to keep working on my plates and happy to say that I am almost ready for firing. In the mean time I also worked hard on my college projects. Two of my personal favorites are shown in this and the next post.

Shown above is the footed vessel that I threw on the wheel in 3 pieces and assembled. For decoration I dipped the vessel in one glaze and then sprayed the second glaze over the paper resist designs. I think it turned out nice, especially since I am only beginning to learn the wheel. Obviously, there is a long way to go but working on the wheel can be fun and I am definitely planning to continue.

White earthenware platters, 14" and 11", press-molded, stamped, shellac-resisted, commercial underglazes and clear glaze

Here are two more platters from the same experimental series as the one below. These are drape-molded, inverted onto a slump mold, impressed and trimmed. After thorough drying, they are finished with a scrubby and the shellac resist design is painted in the center. The underglazes are layered on the rim, then the whole thing is painted with underglaze and bisque fired. To finish, the platters are coated with clear gloss glaze and glaze fired.

I am now much closer to the look I am after. It seems that the underglazes become semi-transparent on white earthenware under clear glaze. I experimented with red earthenware and was much happier with the colors. So… I know what my next platters will be made of.

Platter, 14", underglazes, clear glaze, shellac resist

I had a lot of fun making this plate, in particular layering the underglazes on the rim. The colors did not come out quite as I was hoping for but I am happy with it. There is a lot of experimenting ahead until I figure out exact color and pattern combinations. In the mean time, just enjoying the process.

Finished tumblers. Earthenware, commercial underglazes and glazes, shellac resist

Here is the final product. I used Spectrum Low Stone glaze on the inside and clear gloss on the outside. Chocolate color of the underglaze is so rich and yummy. There were some adherence problems with the white underglaze but the overall design does not imply perfection, so I am pretty happy with the final result. This was a great learning experience. While I was waiting for these cups to be fired, I started experimenting with color on a new set of cups (more to come).

 Finally got around to post these babies. I finished decorating them a few weeks ago but then we started remodeling our garage (using weather advantages while they last), then travelled a bit (enjoying summer to the fullest). Anyway, these are now ready for firing but this is not going to happen until I decorate another batch of 9 (which will probably take another month or so). Good thing I do not have to rely on them for my income

With summer in its peak and the vacations, picnics, pool parties, yard work, gardening and all those wonderful fun summer things, it took me about a month to get to the decoration part, and it is still in progress (luckily I do not have to rush with sales or commission deadlines).

Bone dry tumblers were painted with white underglaze and let dry, then fine meandering lines were added using Shellac as a water-resistant sealant (pic.1) and let dry again. The next step – carefully sponging out clay between the lines with a wet sponge, thus creating a raised design (pic.2). Care should be taken not to remove Shellac lines (when the lines are fine, the amount of sealant used to create them is very limited. It does not penetrate clay surface deeply and therefore can be easily removed).  

Some call this technique “Shellac resist”, some – “water erosion”. I used it before on my other pieces and really like the 3D effect. 

Extruded earthenware tumblers, waiting for decoration

Tumblers, mugs, and tea cups are a great way of experimenting with new techniques and glazes. They are easy to make in quantities without serious commitment to one particular technique or spending too much time on one piece. And it is easy to adjust and refine them as you progress from one to the next until you are completely satisfied with the finished product. They are also great for the beginner who is trying to define his style or just practice working with clay.

I made a few tumblers from red earthenware using an extruder. Extruders are great (except for the cleaning part) but depending on the volume of the barrel and the diameter and thickness of the extruded shape, they will limit the number of pieces you can make in one batch (unless you are willing to reload). I extruded the cylinders using the hollow dye (~3” diameter), cut them in equal pieces of ~4.5” tall and joined at the bottoms with the round slabs, reinforcing the seams with thin coils and smoothing. The cylinders come out of the extruder looking a little sloppy for my taste, so after I attached the bottoms, I compressed the walls with a wooden spoon and then altered the shape slightly, stretching the cups from inside out, to give them an organic look.

I let them dry completely and then smoothed all surfaces with a scrubby. And here they are, waiting for the most exciting part – decoration.

I understand that for most artists it is a matter of personal preference and probably subconscious choice. But looking back at the long history of ceramic art, it seems that the most impressive and timeless pieces always tell a story. Most frequently they seem to refer to (and this is not meant to be all-inclusive):

            – biblical stories

            – mythological tales

            – historic events

            – fairy tales

            – everyday life and functions (like hunting; fishing; agriculture; social      events; functional craft; animals; plants; trade; etc.).

 So should I be inspired by modern politics in my pottery studio? Well… it would probably not be my first choice (maybe not even a second one). Biblical stories and fairy tales have been done and redone over and over, and unfortunately there aren’t so many new ones that make my heart sing. Some artists are evidently inspired by modern life and incorporate modern technology (such as neon lights; holograph; robotics; 3D printing, etc.) into their ceramic work quite successfully… and it seems to work for now. Only time will tell if it will still impress art lovers, say, in the next century, when who knows what other seemingly impossible technological creations will become a part of everyday life.

 So I guess I’ll continue to search for clues. But in the mean time I would be very interested to know what others think, or if they think about it at all.

From the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY

Moche Society and Culture

Moche (or Mochica) was one of the most vigorous and prosperous cultures of Ancient Peru. It is known to have thrived between approximately 100 and 800 ad. Diverse geography and climate such as cold ocean next to a harsh desert shore line on the Western side and the second highest mountain range in the World on the Eastern side led to the need to organize society and created a reliance on community over the individual.  They built an impressive irrigation system that transformed kilometers of desert into fertile and abundant fields capable of sustaining a population of over 50,000. Without benefit of the wheel, the plough, or a developed writing system, the Moche nevertheless achieved a remarkable level of civilization, as witnessed by their highly sophisticated ceramic pottery, lofty pyramids, and clever metalwork. Moche artifacts found in the tombs of great lords include finely crafted bronze, gold and silver ornaments, large, gilded copper figurines, and intricately decorated ceramic pottery. The Moche artisans portrayed a very realistic and accurately detailed depiction of themselves and their environment. These art pieces are the only remaining source of archeological information about their everyday life and work [2, 3].

Moche Ceramic Tradition

Ceramics seemed to be the preferred medium in Moche culture, as estimated 90% of Moche art is represented in ceramics.  These ancient ceramic works are considered remarkable for their exoticism, expressive nature, but also for their quality. The most common form of ceramic produced by the Moche was the stirrup vessel, in its simplest form a closed body surmounted by an arched tube that connects to it in two points, and is pierced by a vertical spout [1]. The majority of the decorated examples are modeled into three-dimensional sculptural forms depicting animals, human and supernatural figures, portraits of important individuals, war scenes, and a variety of other motifs familiar from the daily life and mythology of the time.

Purpose of the Object

Although these vessels are often found in elite Moche burials, they were used by the Moche during life. Many of the vessels in grave deposits show signs of abrasion and other wear, and fragments are found in domestic rubbish heaps and those of ceremonial grounds, where they had been discarded after being broken, presumably during use. Despite their esoteric configuration, the vessels were intended to hold liquid, possibly a beverage [1].

Construction Type

The globular body of the vessel has a stirrup handle which is an elegantly arched hollow ceramic tube attached to the vessel at both ends in such a way as to be open into the body of the vessel. The shape of the handle indicates an early date in the long ceramic sequence of the Moche [5]. The handle has the short tapering spout at the mid point. The intricate construction of the vessel suggests clever adaptation to the environment such as small opening of the spout that allowed minimal evaporation of liquid and kept the dust out. The liquid would pour smoothly out of the vessel because air enters one end of the handle while liquid comes out the other. The shape of the handle allows for easy carrying of the vessel or suspending from belt or rope.

Clay body

Moche vessels were made of low temperature earthenware obtained locally [3].  The body of the stirrup bottle is of reddish color indicating high content of iron oxide. The non-invasive PIXE spectroscopy study of similar Moche vessels showed that these clays contained on average ~20% of Fe₂O₃. The other main ingredients were silica (SiO₂) – 50-60% and alumina (Al₂O₃) – 10-15%. These clays also contained relatively high percentage of fluxes (K₂O: 6-10% and CaO: 5‑6%) [3] that lower maturation temperatures during firing.

Ceramic Technique

It is known that the prevalent ceramic technique of early Moche was coiling – a hand method of forming pottery by building up the walls with ropelike rolls of clay and then smoothing over the joints.

Surface Decoration

The globular chamber of this well-proportioned bottle is decorated with the undulating body of a big serpent on one half of the chamber, apparently by using sprigging technique – applying clay in a plastic state to form a relief decoration. The reptile’s large head has catlike eyes, whiskers, and a bifurcated tongue. A mythological creature known as the “eared” serpent often assumes feline characteristics such as whiskers and fangs [5]. Incision and carving might have also been used to shape the snake’s “facial” features. The main body of the vessel is covered with the red iron-rich slip (i.e. clay in liquid suspension). The serpent’s body is outlined and decorated with concentric circles in white slip that contained high percentage (20-30%) of CaO (whiting) [3]. Snakes were common in Moche art. Although their meaning is unclear, the annual shedding of their skins may have been symbols of renewal and regeneration [5]. No vitrified glazes were used by Moche. The high gloss resulted from burnishing (i.e. using a smooth object to polish the surface of leather hard clay) either with the hand, with a cloth or with a smooth stone, while the vessel was in the leather hard state (i.e. the condition of the raw ware (green ware) when most of the moisture has left the body but when it is still soft enough to be carved or burnished easily). This treatment drew finer particles to the surface making the vessel stronger and more water-tight [3].

Firing Technique

Moche vessels were fired in an oxidizing atmosphere (i.e. the firing condition during which the kiln chamber retains an ample supply of oxygen) in a pit that allowed oxygen to circulate around the vessel, bringing out the rich red tone of the slip [1]. A replica of a firing pit recreated based on excavation

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Recreated ground plan and section through the replica pottery kiln. Reproduced from [4

Personal Reflections

I stumbled upon stirrup vessels made by modern artists in catalogs and books and was intrigued by their shape. When I saw this particular bottle in the Metropolitan Museum or Art in New York, I realized that the idea of the shape came from at least ~2000 years ago. It immediately suggests utilitarian nature of the vessel, however, this fact in no way diminishes its esthetic value. It comes as no surprise that 2000 years later the ingenious unity of obvious utilitarian purpose and the highly artistic execution of this bottle such as an elegant organic curve of the handle, intricate surface decoration, perfect smoothness of the walls, and well-defined lip still inspire artists to keep exploring and reproducing its distinctive shape.

References

1. S. Miller. Feline painting of the Moche. http://www.tribalarts.com/feature/moche

2. R.A. Hudson, ed. Peru: A Country Study. 1992. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress.

3. C.P. Swann, S. Caspi, and J. Carlson. Six stirrup handled Moche ceramic vessels from pre-Colombian Peru: a technical study applying PIXE spectrometry. Nucl. Instr. Meth. Physics Research. 1999, B150: 571 – 575.

4. I. Shimada, D. Goldstein, J.Sosa, and U. Wagner. Early Pottery Making in Northern Coastal Peru. Part II: Field Firing Experiments. Hyperfine Interactions. 2003, 150: 91–105.

5. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/05/sac/ho_1992. 60.9.htm

*Disclosure

This project was a part of my ceramic class assignment. Although information that I could find on this particular piece was quite scarce, I was able to assemble it into a story that I am presenting here. I cannot  guarantee 100% accuracy. Please, refer to the cited sources for more information.