vase

Doulton & Co Ltd

Summary

Large double gourd shaped vase, of globular shape with flattened globular neck tapering to straight narrow rim. Crystalline glaze containing cobalt, fired to 1400 C, producing pale blue and green crystals all over body, dense small blue crystals on shoulder progressing to extremely large flowering blue and green crystals round lower body in patches, creamy white body visible beneath. Crystals thin out at top of neck round rim, becoming paler with dark circles round each one.

Display Label

Clay Clay is an ancient, universal material. Dug out of the ground, it is basic stuff, formed by the elements, earth, water, air and fire. Its use is one of the oldest human artforms. Clay responds to the touch of your hand, it can be pushed and pulled, squeezed and pinched. Clay has no natural form of its own, and can be shaped into almost anything. It is tactile, inviting, immediate and intimate. When soft, it is marked by the slightest touch, yet once fired, it becomes fixed and permanent. A clay pot will survive for thousands of years, bearing the thumbprint of the potter who made it. Some makers are drawn by clay's physical appeal, its sensuous and tactile qualities. For others it is simply a means to an end, an incredibly diverse and expressive medium with the potential to do almost anything.