Large Signed Kerry Gonzalez Raku Pottery Vase With Crackle & Smoke Glaze, 22"

Details

Description

A striking 22-inch signed raku pottery vase by American ceramic artist Kerry Gonzalez, featuring an ivory crackle glaze traced with … Read more A striking 22-inch signed raku pottery vase by American ceramic artist Kerry Gonzalez, featuring an ivory crackle glaze traced with soft smoky dove-gray craquelure and dramatic smoke-fired charcoal detailing. Substantial in scale, this sculptural studio pottery vessel makes a very distinctive statement.

Handcrafted by Kerry Gonzalez, a nationally known ceramicist, this substantial raku vessel combines a graceful elongated neck and softly flared rim with broad, rounded shoulders and a gently tapered lower body.

The pale ivory upper portion is animated by an organic network of soft smoky dove-gray craquelure. Toward the base, the surface transitions into deep charcoal gray and black tones associated with the smoke and reduction effects of the raku firing process.

At approximately 22 inches tall and approximately 11.75 inches wide, the vase has considerable architectural presence. Its sophisticated neutral palette of ivory, cream, dove gray, charcoal, and black works especially well in organic modern, contemporary, minimalist, modernist, Brutalist, wabi-sabi, and collected interiors.

The relatively narrow mouth creates an elegant contrast with the broad body. It is particularly well suited to a restrained arrangement of dried grasses, a thin branch, reeds, seed heads, or dried florals, while its sculptural silhouette gives it enough visual presence to display beautifully on its own.

The piece is signed by Kerry Gonzalez on the underside.

Provenance: Acquired from Greenwich Auction, where the vase was cataloged as a Kerry Gonzalez art pottery vase with crackle and smoke glaze.

Design & Raku Technique

The defining feature of this vase is its expressive raku surface.

Fine craquelure spreads organically across the ivory-colored glaze, with smoky dove-gray lines creating subtle depth and movement. The crackle pattern is especially intricate across the rounded shoulders and upper body, where variations in line density emphasize the handmade character of the piece.

The smoke-darkened lower body provides a dramatic visual counterpoint in charcoal gray and black, giving the vase an elemental, almost geological quality.

Variations in crackle, smoke, tonal shading, and surface texture are integral characteristics of the raku firing process rather than conventional applied decoration. The resulting surface gives the vessel a highly individual character.

Its softly flared mouth, elongated narrow neck, generous rounded shoulders, and tapered base create a balanced sculptural silhouette. Displayed alone, it reads as a ceramic art object; paired with dried natural materials, it becomes an equally compelling decorative vessel.

About the Artist

Kerry Gonzalez (American, b. 1949) is an American ceramic artist particularly associated with raku-fired studio pottery.

Born in Oakland, California, and raised in Central Florida, Gonzalez studied ceramics at Florida Atlantic University, receiving his BFA in 1972, and also studied at the University of South Florida.

His broader craft education included glassblowing studies at the Pilchuck Glass School in Washington and the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland.

After relocating to North Carolina in 1975, Gonzalez devoted significant attention to raku, developing distinctive ceramic surfaces through crackle glazing, reduction firing, smoke effects, and copper-raku techniques.

His work is recognized for the interplay between strong sculptural vessel forms and the spontaneous, atmospheric surfaces produced through raku firing. Gonzalez pottery has appeared in galleries, private collections, and established auction houses.

Why This Piece Stands Out

At approximately 22 inches high, this is a particularly large and visually commanding example of Kerry Gonzalez's studio pottery.

Its substantial scale distinguishes it from many of the smaller Gonzalez raku vessels encountered on the secondary market. The combination of signed attribution, Greenwich Auction provenance, intricate dove-gray craquelure, smoke-fired charcoal detailing, and an elongated architectural form gives the piece significant decorative presence.

The proportions are especially appealing: a broad, rounded body provides visual weight, while the comparatively narrow neck and mouth maintain an elegant vertical profile.

This vase would work beautifully in an entry hall, living room, library, dining room, office, or designer-curated interior. Its neutral, organic palette pairs particularly well with natural wood, stone, plaster, linen, leather, metal, and other textural materials.

Display it alone as a sculptural studio pottery object or add a restrained grouping of dried grasses or other dry botanicals to emphasize its height.

Condition

Pre-owned studio pottery condition with surface characteristics inherent to the raku process.

The visible craquelure and crackle pattern are intentional characteristics of the raku glaze and firing technique and should not be confused with ordinary glaze damage. Variations in coloration, smoke effects, firing marks, and surface texture are characteristic of handmade raku pottery and contribute to the individual appearance of the piece.

The vase is likely not watertight and is offered primarily as a decorative ceramic art object. The interior should not be assumed to be sealed or suitable for holding water directly.

It may be displayed with dried flowers, grasses, reeds, seed heads, or other dry decorative materials.

Please review all photographs closely, including the detailed images of the glaze, craquelure, rim, interior, base, and artist's signature, as they form an important part of the condition description.

Details at a Glance

Artist: Kerry Gonzalez
Date / Period: Likely 1980s; exact production date unknown
Medium / Technique: Raku-fired ceramic with crackle glaze and smoke reduction
Dimensions: 22" H × approximately 11.75" diameter at widest point
Signature: Signed Kerry Gonzalez on underside
Provenance: Greenwich Auction
Country of Origin: United States

Questions & Answers

Who made this vase?
This is a signed work by American ceramic artist **Kerry Gonzalez**, known particularly for his raku-fired studio pottery.

When was this Kerry Gonzalez vase made?
The exact production date is not known. Based on comparable documented works by Gonzalez, the vase is **likely from the 1980s**, but it is not dated on the piece and is not being represented as having a confirmed production year.

How large is the vase?
It stands approximately **22 inches tall and 11.75 inches wide**, giving it substantial presence as a large-scale decorative ceramic.

What colors are featured on the vase?
The upper body has an ivory-to-cream crackle glaze traced with soft smoky dove-gray craquelure. The lower portion transitions into deeper charcoal gray and black smoke-fired tones.

Is the vase signed?
Yes. It is signed “K. Gonzalez” on the underside.

What is the provenance?
The vase was acquired from Greenwich Auction, where it was cataloged as a Kerry Gonzalez art pottery vase with crackle and smoke glaze.

What is raku pottery?
Raku is a ceramic firing technique in which heat, reduction, cooling, and smoke can create distinctive crackle patterns, tonal variation, and unpredictable surface effects. These variations are an important part of the character of raku ceramics.

Is the crackling on the surface damage?
The fine surface craquelure is characteristic of the vase's **intentional raku crackle glaze**. Its smoky dove-gray network is an important visual element of the design rather than conventional decorative painting.

What color are the craquelure lines?
The crackle lines read as a **soft smoky dove gray**, with natural tonal variations throughout the surface.

What creates the dark charcoal section at the bottom?
The charcoal-gray and black coloration is associated with the smoke and reduction effects of the raku firing process, creating a dramatic contrast with the pale crackle-glazed upper body.

What interior styles work well with this piece?
Its neutral ivory, dove-gray, and charcoal palette works particularly well with organic modern, contemporary, minimalist, modernist, Brutalist, wabi-sabi, studio craft, and collected interiors.

Can it be displayed by itself?
Absolutely. Its 22-inch height, broad sculptural body, elongated neck, intricate crackle glaze, and smoke-fired surface give it substantial visual presence as a standalone ceramic art object.

Can this vase be used with flowers or decorative stems?
It is suited to dried flowers, grasses, a thin sculptural branch, reeds, seed heads, and other dry decorative stems. Its narrow opening might work well for a restrained vertical arrangement.

Can I put water directly into the vase?
The vase has not been tested for watertightness, and the interior should not be assumed to be sealed. Water should not be placed directly inside.

Where could this vase be displayed?
Its substantial scale makes it well suited to a console table, pedestal, mantel, large dining table, sideboard, cabinet, entryway, living room, library, or other setting where a statement ceramic can be appreciated. See less