27. Elise Chezem, large pit-fired open-mouthed pot

27. Elise Chezem, large pit-fired open-mouthed pot

For Chezem, see item 23. 

Reddish brown clay, colors from pit-firing. Weight: 1896 g (4.2 lb). Mouth diameter: 17.4 cm (6-3/4 in); rim diameter: 21.7 cm (8-5/8 in); shoulder and maximum diameter 24 cm (9.5 in); foot ring diameter: 8.5 cm (3-3/8). Height: 12 cm (4-3/4 in).

This pot was wheel-thrown. The foot ring is about 0.3 cm (1/8 in) high. The area within the foot ring has been carved out to a depth of about 0.6 cm (1/4 in). The artist signed the pot on the bottom with an inscribed “Elise.” The sides of the pot extend outward quickly to the maximum width and then rise in almost a straight line to the shoulder, which is about 9.8 cm (3-7/8 in) above the base. There is a sharp break at the shoulder and the pot angles inward sharply before rising to the rim. The rim is level and about 2.5 cm (1 in) wide.

This was pit-fired, resulting in black and brown colors. Coverage varies considerably, from almost coal black to large areas almost unaffected by the smoke.

Purchased at Peninsula Potters in Pacific Grove, California, in the early 1990s.