194. Andrew Sartorius, Firebox Sculpture 15, “Little Bird”

 194. Andrew Sartorius, Firebox Sculpture 15, “Little Bird”

 

For Sartorius, see item 143.

Elsewhere Sartorius refers to this as “Little Wing.”

Wild clay from North Carolina; mostly gray colors from the wood firing, with some dark reds and rust colors; some glazing from the ash melt. Weight 150 g (5 oz). Height: 5.4 cm (2-1/8 in). Length: 10.4 cm (4 in). Width: 5 cm (2 in).

This sits on a flat, round base about 4.2 cm (1-7/8 in) in diameter. The base was relatively untouched by the ash flow. The sides flow upward from the base in a complex series of contours. There are three sides. The smallest is a rough triangle; the artist’s mark was impressed into this area. The other two, longer sides are rough teardrops in shape. The top is another teardrop shape, with the opening toward one end. The opening is about 2.2 cm (7.8 in) in diameter and has a raised vertical lip about 0.7 cm (7/8 in) high.

This was fired in the lower front of an anagama kiln for four days. According to Sartorius, “it was dangerously close to the embers for such a small piece. It really developed the cooler ash surface of something insulated by the embers surrounding it.”

Purchased from the artist, July 2022.