Vase 1893 - 1911

Editor: This "Vase," crafted between 1893 and 1911 by Dedham Pottery, resides here at the Met. The glazing is captivating; it gives the vessel a strange, almost unsettling presence. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: It's the interplay of form and surface treatment that arrests my attention. Note the seemingly deliberate tension created by the confluence of verticality against this almost iridescent drip effect. Consider the balance established through the proportional relationship between the narrow neck and the body of the earthenware. Editor: It’s as if the glaze is trying to escape the rigid structure of the vase itself. How does the material contribute to the overall effect? Curator: The materiality is integral. The rough, porous quality of the earthenware, combined with the fluid glaze, sets up a dichotomous tactile experience. It is that push and pull that charges the work, providing it with a singular visual language. Is the vessel grounding the iridescent hues or merely acting as a host for their fluidic expression? Editor: The "fluidic expression", as you put it, is quite evocative; I’d not considered the glaze as active agent before, especially in a field such as ceramics. Thank you, I appreciate this deep dive! Curator: You're welcome. Examining these tensions often yields fruitful perspectives.