1930s Tall Studio Pottery Vessel, Manner of Maija Grotell

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Conical Studio Pottery Vessel, manner of (attributed to) Maija Grotell.

It measures just over 4 1/2" in height, 4" in … Read more Conical Studio Pottery Vessel, manner of (attributed to) Maija Grotell.

It measures just over 4 1/2" in height, 4" in diameter at the top, and I have owned this piece for several decades (I believe four). I have thought of this as my Maija Grotell pot. Here is what I can offer to support this attribution:

There is a two-toned, pumpkin-orange glaze (one brighter and more intense). The fine pitting and small pops are another unique feature. Grotell named this a "leopard skin glaze."

This comes from a blog of the Syracuse University Library:

"In the 1930s, Grotell’s surface patterns moved toward textured surfaces with linear accents that continued in the 1940s. Her surfaces were rhythmic and dynamic, allowing for new patterns to emerge from her techniques. According to the Cranbrook Art Museum, “Grotell’s experiments would lead her to combine the same Albany slip with a Bristol glaze to create vessels with a pocked surface in which dark and light areas bubbled together like lava. Maija developed a style built on layering glazes one atop another, much like a pearl is formed with layer upon layer of nacre. It wasn’t functional pottery or ceramic sculpture, but a new kind of fine art pottery.”

How these glaze layers were controlled can range from subtle to more lava-like, depending on several factors. The exterior orange glaze of this pot would appear to be a use of that technique, with the darker tones coming from the Albany Slip.

Another element in common is the use of a matte glaze on the interior. In this case, the matte-white is likely a result of zinc in the Bristol glaze formula.

Another aspect that supports this attribution is the continuation of the glaze on the sides to the inside of the foot (unglazed foot rim). The pot also has broad, visible throw marks, best seen on the interior, another similarity with many or most pieces thrown by Grotell. Examples of some of these elements can be seen in the last photo.

I have assembled additional information that I would be happy to share. Feel free to ask about that or anything else that I might be able to add. My feeling is that this is a piece by Maija Grotell. Having been acquired as an antique purchase approximately 40 years ago, it could easily date to the 1930s. That said, it could also have been made by one of her students. If so, they followed her formulas with great skill. As such, I am offering it at a fraction of what I would have priced had it been signed.

I plan on selling some items with incomplete research mysteries for others to unravel. I will be careful with any attributions by stating both known and unknown facts. My pricing will be consistent with those probabilities. For better or worse, AI will someday make many of those mysteries mundane. I still prefer the childlike excitement of solving them with old-fashioned research. See less