A great pitcher for serving any special occasion or dinner. Also, the perfect backdrop for a fresh or dried floral arrangement.
The natural tones are a result of a mix of iron and mica in the clay along with ash accumulation from a 40-hour+ wood firing. The Cobalt and Yellow Matte glazes were applied to the piece prior to loading the kiln and the ash glaze that developed during the firing provides the fluid movement for beautiful glaze drips.
The Cobalt, Yellow Matte, and Ash glazes blended with the iron and mica in the clay create a completely individualistic finish. The brilliant blue against the golden tones accents the beautiful drips along the contour of this pitcher. Unusual microcrystals have formed within the Yellow Matte portion of the glaze. A delight! Dishwasher-safe. Measuring 7"l x 6.75"w x 10.75"h.
Please Note: What appear to be white spots on the surface are reflections from photo lighting.
Multi-Layer Glaze
While Ben III was in college in the 1990s, he was introduced to a spraying technique with an air-driven spray gun that some potters use to build up layers of glazes on the clay surface. With some experimenting, he was able to create a variety of finishes using accents of three or four different colors and using an ash glaze as a top coat to blend or bleach the underlying colors. Some finishes are a base of iron yellow with cobalt blue or copper green covering with orange to silver developing from the overlapping colors. Each pot is unique. As a similar process to Natural Ash Glazes, Ben III frequently places these finishes in the wood kiln to accentuate the colors as well.
The Natural Ash Glaze is produced by relying on the wood-firing process as the glazing agent. Most pieces dedicated to this glaze are placed in the kiln with little or no glaze applied to the exterior. During the firing process, the wood is occasionally stirred in the firebox to give flight to the flakes of ash produced during the firing. When these small flakes become airborne, they cling to the exposed areas of the pots and accumulate over a period of time. As the kiln reaches about 2300 degrees Fahrenheit, the wood ash will liquefy and begin to run down the side of the pots, as if one had poured honey on the vase.
This piece is hand-signed by Ben Owen III with the year made (2024).