Important Storied Tall Ceramic Pot with Rattle and Handprints by Toshiko Takaezu

Details

Description

An important ceramic closed-form pot with rattle by Japanese American artist Toshiko Takaezu (American, 1922 - 2011).
The story: In … Read more An important ceramic closed-form pot with rattle by Japanese American artist Toshiko Takaezu (American, 1922 - 2011).
The story: In the 1980s, potter Lola Rae invited Toshika to her ceramic studio and kiln in Ojai, CA to teach a class. Lola Rae had previously worked as a studio assistant for artist Beatrice Wood for eight years. This pot was one of the pieces Toshiko made on site during the class and workshop. Together with the other pot on offer, they stayed in Lola Rae's personal collection until now offer by us Tishu Gallery Atlanta. The pot comes with two vintage photographs of the artist taken during the class and a catalog of the artist's exhibition in celebration of the Dickenson College Arts Award in 1983, all from Lola Rae collection.
The vessel: This wheel-thrown close-form pot is highly unique as the artist put both her hands on the pot with a calculated spontaneity, artfully left a positive print on one side covered in glaze and a negative print on the opposite with the glaze scraped off, exposing the sandy clay underneath. Between these prints, there is another set of much fainter fingerprints in between. Like the accompany pot also on offer, this pot also showcases a tri-color scheme with beige-white on the upper body, lighter brown in the mid-section and deep brown on the lower portion. Mottled blue color boldly runs cross the background spontaneously. There is also a combing mark on the top with yellow glaze. Potter's grooves circumvent most of the body surface. A rattle was placed in the pot and make wonderful sound. The base was marked with the artist's TT signature.
Compare this pot with item 2007-68-9 in the collection of Philadelphia Museum of Art, which also bears a handprint by the artist.
The iconic close-form vessel by the artist takes the simplest organic form but is instilled with a deeper philosophy. The void space and the air trapped inside of the pot was considered by the artist as important as the physical material that defines the space. They were created with the artist's signature abstract and poetic approach: free hand and wabi-sabi. The artist's work, heavily influenced by the Japanese ceramic tradition and aesthetics, elevated pottery into the status of fine art.
A unique piece by Toshiko with her own handprints (we are not aware of another similar piece). With great provenance, rare and highly collectible. See less