38. Robert Compton, small wood-fired and salt-glazed cup

38. Robert Compton, small wood-fired and salt-glazed cup

A full-time potter since 1972, Compton lives and works on a small farm in Bristol, Vermont. He has published articles on potting and given lectures in many countries. He has informative discussions of his shaping and firing methods on his website (www.robertcomptonpottery.com).

Light gray clay, green glaze with salt-fired finish; foot ring unglazed. Weight: 120 g (4 oz). Rim diameter: 5 cm (2 in), maximum diameter: 5.8 cm (2-1/4 in), foot ring diameter: 3.3 cm (1-1/4 in). Height: 6.8 cm (2-5/8 in).

The foot ring is a 0.6 cm (1/4 in) on the outside, slightly less on the inside. The marks of the wads used to separate pottery in the kiln are visible on the foot ring. “COMPTON” has been stamped on the inside of the rim. Above the foot ring, the cup angles sharply outward to the sides of the cup; this area is circular in cross-section, and varies from 0.9 cm to 1.2 cm (3/8 to 1/2 in) above the base. The maximum diameter is about 2.5 cm (1 in) above the base; above this the cup slopes gently inward at a shallow angle to the rim. The sides of the cup have been divided into eight panels with a flat blade, running from the rim of the cup to the circular area above the base. The panels are unevenly shaped and slant to the right. Every other panel is incised with a pattern of wavy vertical lines. The artist’s mark was stamped into one of the plain panels.

The piece is glazed both inside and out. The salt-glaze is responsible for the sheen. In natural light the piece is a dark green; under some artificial light, particularly LEDs, it appears black.

Purchased at the artist’s studio in Bristol, Vermont, May 2017.