171. Christine Shadic, plate

171. Christine Shadic, plate

Shadic is a Boston-area potter associated with Feet of Clay Pottery.

Red clay, grayish-blue glaze, base and half of side walls left unglazed. Weight: 828 g (1.8 lb). Diameter of rim: 23.3 cm (9/-1/8 in); of base: 18.2 cm (7-3/8 in). Height: 2.5 cm (1 in).

This sits directly on the flat base. “Christine” in script has been scratched on the base near one edge. The walls are convex arc to the rim, which is rolled. The shape of the interior mirrors that of the exterior. A vaguely floral design was pressed into the top surface. This potter collects Indian stamps; perhaps she used one of them to make the design. The glazed areas are smooth, as are the bare clay areas.

The base and the lower half of the exterior walls were left unglazed. The blue glaze has pulled away from the rim and the raised portions of the stamped area; the interaction between the thinned glaze and the color of the clay created dark brown areas.

This was a “second”—why I cannot see. 

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

 

170. Ruth Paris, bowl

170. Ruth Paris, bowl

Paris is a Boston-area potter associated with Feet of Clay Pottery.

Light tan clay with black flakes (iron?). Glazed in white and green; foot ring left unglazed. Weight 446 g (16 oz).  Width of rim (maximum): 16.8 cm (6-1/2 in); of foot ring: 10.1 cm (4 in). Height: 6,3 cm (2-1/2 in).

This sits on the foot ring, which is about 0.6 (3/16 in) high on the outside. For a distance of 0.2 cm (1/16 in), the area just above the foot has been carved out to the depth of about 0.2 cm, creating a slight lip on the exterior base of the foot. The area within the foot ring has been hollowed out to a depth of about 0.4 cm (1/8 in). “Paris” was scratched on the surface of this area next to the edge. The walls rise in convex arc; the diameter expands rapidly to just above the halfway point, and the walls then rise almost vertically to 1 cm (3/8 in) below the rim. A groove encircles the bowl at this point, and the walls then flare outward at about a 45-degree angle to the lip of the rim. The lip is curled. The interior walls mirror the exterior. The surface of the glazed areas issmooth, as is the bare clay.

This was glazed in tan-white, with a thin green overglazed on two sides of the bowl. The black flakes melted during the firing, creating a mottled effect.

This is intended as a soup bowl or a small serving bowl. In practical terms, the flared rim creates a grasping point. The green areas are reminiscent of Oribe ware, but the glaze doesn't have the thickness and richness of the Oribe green.

This was made with the same clay and of the same glazes as the preceding two items.

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

169. Micah Lott, bowl

 169. Micah Lott, bowl

Lott is a Boston-area potter associated with Feet of Clay Pottery.

Light tan clay with black flakes (iron?). Glazed in white; foot ring and rim left unglazed. Weight 474 g (17 oz).  Width of rim (maximum): 16.5 cm (6-1/2 in); of foot ring: 9.4 cm (3-3/4 in). Height: 7.6 cm (3 in).

This sits on the foot ring, which is about 0.4 cm (1/8 in) on the exterior. The interior of the foot ring is very shallow, less than 0.1 cm (1/32 in). “Lott” was incised into the interior, next to the edge. The walls rise in a convex arc. The diameter expands rapidly to about the halfway point to almost the maximum width, and the walls then curve upward in a shallow arc. There is no lip at the rim. The shape of the interior mirrors that of the exterior. The glazed portions of the surface are lightly pitted. The bare clay is fairly smooth.

The rim and the foot ring were left unglazed. The exterior was coated with a thin white glaze. During the firing, this resulted in a mottled and streaked pattern on the exterior as the color of the clay showed through. The glaze was applied more evenly and more thickly on the interior. The black flakes in the clay melted during the firing, speckling the surface with black dots.

This is a good size for a soup bowl. It has good balance and heft. Leaving the rim unglazed makes for a nice detail. In practical terms, it also makes it easier to grasp the bowl by the rim and the foot ring; being unglazed, they aren’t as slippery as the glazed portions of the bowl.  This was made using the same clay and the same glaze as the following item, which isn’t surprising since both potters work in the same place.

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

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.

 

167. Andrew Mazzaschi, mug

 167. Andrew Mazzaschi, mug

For Mazzaschi, see item 103.

Dark chocolate clay, white glaze, base left unglazed. Weight: 345 g (12 oz). Width of rim: 9.2 cm (3-1/2 in); of base: 6.3 cm (2-1/4 in). Maximum width of body: 9.4 cm (3-5/8 in). Width with handle: 11.7 cm (4-5/8 in). Minimum width: 7.7 cm (3 in). Capacity: 500 ml (2 cups).

This sits directly on the flat base. The artist’s mark, a square with his initials AHSM, was stamped into the base. Above the base, the walls rise outward at a 45-degree angle to reach the maximum width 2.5 cm (1 in) above the base. From there the walls curve inward and then outward to the rim in a concave arc. The minimum width lies 7 cm (2-3/4 in) above the base. This section of the walls was divided into six panels by vertical diagonal ridges sloping from top to bottom and left to right. The handle was attached just below the rim and just above the break at the maximum width.

The base and a small portion of the walls just above the base were left unglazed. The white glaze pulled away from the stress points allowing the color of the clay to show through and forming brown specks and streaks.

This is a comfortable cup to hold. Chipped on rim.

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

 

166. Andrew Mazzaschi, mug

 166. Andrew Mazzaschi, mug 

For Mazzaschi, see item 103.

Dark chocolate brown clay, glazed with brown slip underglaze and a white overglaze; base and bottom of outside wall left unglazed. Weight: 420 g (15 oz). Diameter of rim: 8.2 cm (3-1/4 in); of base 4.8 cm (1-7/8 in); of bottom bulge: 8.8 cm (3-1/2 in). Width with handle: 11.7 cm (4-5/8 in). Height: 10.3 cm (4-1/8 in). The capacity is 450 ml (1-3/4 cup).

This sits on the flat base. The artist’s mark, a square with his initials AHSM inside, was pressed into the base. The walls bulge out to the widest width of the body 3 cm (1-3/8 in) above the base and then curve inward to the waist 6.4 cm (2-1/2 in) above the base; the waist is 7 cm (2-3/4 in) in diameter. From the waist, the walls slope outward to the rim. The exterior of the body was shaped into eight vertical panels running the length of the body. Diagonal grooves running left to right and from top to bottom were carved into the exterior of the body. The ear-shaped handle was attached just below the rim and just below the widest point of the bottom bulge. The interior mirrors the general shape of the body, but without the panels and grooves. The surface of the glazed portion of the mug is smooth but broken by the ridges at the sides of the panels and grooves.

This was first coated with a brown slip and then with a white glaze. The white glaze pooled in the grooves but pulled away from the stress points at the rim and along the edges of the grooves. At one point there is a blue strip running the length of two of the grooves. The brown slip shows through more on the interior, which has band of whitish glaze at the top with a few drips running down into the mug.

This is one of Mazzaschi’s standard patterns--not the best shape in my opinion. The mug is a bit bottom heavy when full. The weight of the liquid pulls it away from the handle. Also, the final couple of tablespoons of liquid pool in the bulge at the bottom and can rush out when the mug is tilted back to get the last bits.

Purchased at Feet of Clay annual winter sale in December 2021.

 

165. Julie Burkley, raku-fired pot, 2021

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.