Glazed Ceramics by Theodoor A.C. Colenbrander. All manufactured ca. 1923–24 by Plateelbakkerj Ram earthenware factory in Arnhem, the Netherlands. Photography by Centraal Museum, Utrecht / Adriaan van Dam. Museum inventory numbers: 11787 a, 11787 c, ” d, ” h, ” i, & ” k.
As a young potter, I was inspired by pilgrim flasks, first encountering those made by Bernard Leach. Searching for the seeds of this idea, I found resonant historical Korean and Chinese forms. My training had focused on bowls as the basis of throwing, so I thought of these shapes as the combination of two bowls turned on edge with an added rim and foot. As I began wood firing, I was attracted to broad, shallow surfaces as a canvas for ash deposits. Though not as spherical as a traditional Korean moon jar, I have called my flatter forms “moon vases” for their moon-like allusions. We built our anagama in 1996 and for 25 years I have made these shapes, altering the feeling by exploring variations in scale, texture, rims, edges, and feet. Each firing has its own nuances, and each series of moon vases has its own focus.
from Pottery Making Illustrated Jan feb issue 2024