Vase with poppy seed pods 1903

This small green vase was thrown by Artus Van Briggle at the turn of the century. I just love to think about the potter’s hands coaxing the clay into this gently swelling form. The twisting on the body, the bulbous top with its little brown kisses. I can imagine Artus’s fingers pressing, releasing, shaping. The texture is thick with a mottled surface that might have taken days to dry. The subtle shades of green blend into browns that hint at the earth the vase came from. It's a little awkward, but it has the feel of something natural, like it might have grown that way. As though it sprung up from the forest floor. Vases like this always remind me of the Arts and Crafts movement, but they also speak to the long history of ceramics across cultures. It is so good!