owl jug

Summary

Oviform jug in the form of an owl, tapering to flared circular foot, with tall, straight neck, single loop handle above applied modelled tail, applied relief wings on either side and two applied relief claws above foot. Cover in the form of an owl's head forms a drinking cup. Body, handle and head decorated with a marbled pattern of trailed and feathered red and white slip, showing dark brown and cream through lead glaze. Plain orange-red neck and foot. Large round sunken eyes and small modelled beak to head, beneath prominent eyebrow ridge, eyes in dark brown within large white circles outlined in brown with white spots. Small slip trailed cream double scroll to forehead above beak.

Display Label

Shape Shapes are often defined by their function: a teapot must have a handle and a spout. But by breaking away from the usual conventions designers and makers can reveal new possibilities, create new forms and make us think again. They can transform the teapot into a pineapple, or a simple, curvaceous, abstract shape. Through time, makers have used their imagination, their ingenuity and even their sense of humour to transform ordinary and everyday objects into appealing shapes inspired by our surroundings. Some shapes are designed to reflect their use, others are made as a novelty or decorative item: cows for a cream jug, giraffes for a mantelpiece. Many are created out of a desire to experiment, to see what can be done with different materials. This display brings together a menagerie of shapes showing the possibilities available to the maker.