165. Julie Burkley, raku-fired pot, 2021
For Burkley, see item 164.
Gray clay, unglazed, exterior colors from American-style raku firing; interior and lip of pot are the gray color of the baked clay. Weight: 662 g (1.5 lb). Diameters: mouth, 3.8 cm (1-1/2 in); lip, 6.8 cm (2-5/8 in); maximum, 14 cm (5-1/2 in); foot ring, 7.6 cm (3 in). Height: 13 cm (5-1/8 in).
This sits on the foot ring, which is about 0.7 cm (1/4 in) high on the exterior; the interior of the ring has been hollowed out to a depth of 0.1 cm (1/32 in). The ring is 1.7 cm (1/2 in) wide. Burley affixed three small protective felt pads to the base of the ring. Above the foot, the walls of the pot rise in a convex arc to the neck. The maximum diameter is 7.8 cm (3-1/8 in) above the base, the neck is 4.2 cm (1-5/8 in) in diameter and begins about 1 cm (3/8 in) below the lip. Above the neck the walls flare outward at a shallow angle in a straight line. The interior of the lip parallels the exterior. The surface of the pot is rough and pitted.
This was left unglazed and fired in the American style of raku in which the pot is removed from the kiln while still hot and buried in sawdust or other combustible substances. Most of the surface area of the exterior is a reddish brown. One side and the base are black, as is a small blotch on the lip. The interior shows only the gray color of the baked clay.
The pot has a pleasing profile and is well-balanced. The random colors from the raku firing and their pattern are an excellent example of what can be accomplished with this firing method.
Purchased at Feet of Clay Pottery’s sale in December 2021.
