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Floyd Kemp Handled Pottery Vase Tenmoku Glaze, Mingei Arts & Crafts 1960s

$450
£336.37
€392.50
CA$631.89
A$642.77
CHF 367.03
MX$7,774.62
NOK 4,279.75
SEK 4,345.33
DKK 2,934.21

About the Item

Vintage pottery vase features handled, ewer, or pitcher, form with elongated neck and sculptural rim. The neck and handle area is decorated in Tenmoku glaze in combination of a deep glossy chocolate brown and rich persimmon colors; the glaze is also used for the abstract floral motifs on the body of the vase, unifying the composition. The background glaze in ombre grey color is livened up with off-white and brown starry speckles. The geometric, graphic decor in brown, burnt ombre, and warm peach yellow colors repeats on the front and the back of the vase; it is framed by monochromatic bands of peach colored glaze, adding definition and grounding the Tenmoku is a deep solid brown, almost black, glaze, that breaks to rich ginger brown tones where it is thinner, particularly on the edges. It originates in Japan, where it was used for tea bowls imitating 12th century Chinese Jian ware. Japanese potters distinguish kokuyu (black glaze), kakiyu (persimmon glaze) and bekkoyu (tortoiseshell glaze). Bernard Leach, an English ceramic artist, studied the style in Japan as a part of Japanese craft revival movement and used it extensively after his return to England, where in 1920s he established his pottery in St. Ives, England, together with Japanese potter Shōji Hamada. American ceramic artists were introduced to Tenmoku glaze through the University of Minnesota professor and artist Warren MacKenzie, who brought Mingei pottery tradition to USA. Warren MacKenzie and his wife Alixandra were Leach's first American apprentices; MacKenzie came to the University of Minnesota in 1953 after the apprenticeship at St. Ives, influencing thousands of students through his 37 years teaching at the University. The vase is signed on the bottom by the artist. Floyd Kemp (b. 1938) is an established American artist; he received his Master of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Iowa and has done graduate work at Michigan State University. Kemp worked as an art professor at Jackson College in Jackson, Michigan for 26 years, where he was teaching pottery classes to generations of contemporary potters and ceramic artists working today, especially influencing the studio pottery movement in the Midwest. Kemp switched from pottery to painting in 1998. The vase is both a unique decorative functional sculpture and a nice example of American studio craft. Highly decorative vase with graphic, abstract form, high quality artisanal craftsmanship, and statement piece presence will make a great gift to a collector or a design enthusiast and a perfect addition to a wide range of interiors, from Traditional to Mid Century Modern, Transitional, Arts and Crafts, Organic Modern, Scandinavian Modern, Japandi, Modern Heritage, Eclectic, Modern Country, Collected, or Contemporary.

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