168. Jiyong Song, small bowl

168. Jiyong Song, small bowl

Song is a young potter in the Boston area associated with Feet of Clay Pottery.

Light tan clay with black flakes (iron?). Glazed in white; ring foot left unglazed. Weight 252 g (9 oz).  Width of rim (maximum): 13 cm (5-1/8 in); of foot ring: 4.5 cm (1-3/4 in). Height: 5 cm (2 in).

This sits on the foot ring, which is about 0.4 cm (1/8 in) high on the exterior. The interior of the foot has been hollowed out to about half this distance. “Jiyong” and “2021” were lightly scratched on the interior of the foot. ring. The walls rise in a convex arc in one of the traditional shapes for a rice bowl, bowing outward rapidly to about a third of the height of the bowl and then rising in almost a straight line to the rim at a steep angle. The rim of the bowl has been turned outward at about a 45-degree angle. The upper surface of the rim is wide (1 cm; 3/8 in) and slopes downward into the bowl.  The interior of the bowl mirrors the outside.  The glazed finish is smooth, as is the bare clay.

This was glazed in white. During firing the black flakes melted to create a random, mottled and streaked pattern. At the stress points, particularly around the inner and outer edges of the rim, the color of the clay shows through. This uses the same clay as the next two items.

This fits the hand nicely and works well as a rice bowl.

Purchased at Feet of Clay, semiannual pottery sale, December 2021.