Ceramic Moon Pot with Salt Firing and Rattle by Toshiko Takaezu

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A ceramic closed-form pot with rattle by Japanese American artist Toshiko Takaezu (American, 1922 - 2011) circa 1980s. The wheel-thrown … Read more A ceramic closed-form pot with rattle by Japanese American artist Toshiko Takaezu (American, 1922 - 2011) circa 1980s. The wheel-thrown closed-form pot features a a nearly perfect sphere form with fine circumvent grooves. The "nipple-like" sprout with the air hole on top of the pot was dedicatedly made with three tips. The upper portion of the pot is covered in a beige color salt glaze which produced a fine granule texture to the touch. The glaze drips down at random place to the mid and lower body which was covered in a mottled brown and dark chocolate color glaze. The evaporated salt glaze reveals the ridges of the grooves and at places, the brown glaze beneath. One area has a pattern that is likely left by the artist's finger while holding the piece. Another area on the shoulder it forms a small ring by chance during the firing process. The nearly full moon shape, calm glazed palette and it expressive and abstract pattern created by the fire, altogether render this piece a quietude and Zen-like feeling. A rattle was placed in the pot and makes wonderful sound. The base was marked with the artist's TT signature.
From a private American collection in NY.
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. See less