Functional Pottery. Form and Aesthetic in Pots of Purpose

Transcription

1 Functional Pottery Form and Aesthetic in Pots of Purpose Robin Hopper Second Edition

2 The American Ceramic Society 600 N. Cleveland Avenue, Suite 210 Westerville, Ohio , 2013 Robin Hopper All rights reserved. ISBN: (Paperback) ISBN: (PDF) No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in review. Authorization to photocopy for internal or personal use beyond the limits of Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law is granted by The American Ceramic Society, provided that the appropriate fee is paid directly to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA U.S.A., Prior to photocopying items for educational classroom use, please contact Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. This consent Copyright does 2000 not extend by Robin to copyright Hopper items for general distribution or for advertising or promotional purposes or to First republishing edition items published in whole in 1986 or in under part in ISBN any work in any format. Requests for special photocopying permission and reprint requests should be directed to Publisher, Ceramic Publishing Company, The American Ceramic Society, 600 All N. Cleveland rights reserved Ave., Suite 210, Westerville, Ohio USA. Every effort has been made to ensure that all the information in this book is accurate. Due to differing conditions, tools, and individual skills, the publisher cannot be responsible for any injuries, losses, and other damages that may result from the use of the information in this book. Final determination of the suitability of any information, procedure or product for use contemplated by any user, and the manner of that use, is the sole responsibility of the user. This book is intended for informational purposes only. The views, opinions and findings contained in this book are those of the author. The publishers, editors, reviewers and author assume no responsibility or liability for errors or any consequences arising from the use of the Telephone information contained herein. Registered names and trademarks, etc., used in this publication, even without specific indication thereof, are not to be considered unprotected by the law. Mention of trade names of commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the publishers, editors or author. Please Library call of Congress or write for Catalog our free Number: catalog of publications. Our toll-free number to place an order or obtain a free catalog is or please use our regular business telephone for editorial comment and further information. First edition published in 1984 under ISBN Second edition first published in 2000 under ISBN No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing Publisher: Charles Spahr, Executive Director, The American Ceramic Society from Art Book the publisher, Program Manager: except by Bill a reviewer Jones who may quote brief passages in a critical article or review to be printed in a Ebook magazine Manager: or newspaper, Steve Hecker or electronically transmitted on radio or television. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Printed in the United States of America Hopper, Robin. Functional Pottery. Library Bibliography: of Congress Catalog Number: Includes index. ISBN: 1. Pottery Implements, utensils, etc. I. Title. Library TT920.H66 of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Hopper, Robin. Functional Pottery. Bibliography: Frontispiece photo: John Leach. Storage Jar, 9 high, wood-fired stoneware. Photo by Peter Atherton Galbraith. Includes index. 1. Pottery. 2. Implements, utensils, etc. I. Title. TT920.H Frontispiece photo: John Leach. Storage Jar, 9 high, wood-fired stoneware. Photo by Peter Atherton Galbraith.

3 Contents Preface 9 Acknowledgments 11 PART ONE: MADE TO BE USED 13 Introduction 14 Chapter 1 Origins 15 Chapter 2 Functions, Methods, Shapes, and Details 20 Pots of Purpose 20 Making Methods 29 The Development of Shape 33 Details 35 Pottery Forms in Imitation of Other Materials: An Historical Collection 37 Chapter 3 Ethnic Variations and Historical Eclecticism 46 The Ritual of the Kitchen and the Table 47 Historical Eclecticism 47 Footed Forms: An Historical and Contemporary Collection 49 PART TWO: FORM, PROPORTION, RELATIONSHIPS - THE MEASURE OF ALL THINGS 59 Introduction 60 Chapter 4 Geometry and Universal Symbols 62 Symbolism in Geometric Forms 62 Interrelationships of Geometric Forms 63 Chapter 5 Forms and Forces, Nature and Growth 70 Pouring Forms: An Historical and Contemporary Collection 78 Chapter 6 Proportion and Ratio 94 Chapter 7 Pots and Anatomy 103 Mouths, Lips, and Noses 103 Fingers, Hands, Wrists, Elbows, and Shoulders 103 Ears 105 Lidded Forms: An Historical and Contemporary Collection 106 Chapter 8 Roots, Growth, Rhythm, and Balance 115 Roots 115 Growth 116 Rhythm 117 Balance 117 Handled Forms: An Historical and Contemporary Collection 118

4 PART THREE: MECHANICS - ANALYSIS, PRACTICE, CONSIDERATIONS 127 Introduction 128 Chapter 9 Attention to Details 131 Base Terminations: Bottoms and Feet 133 Top Terminations: Rims, Mouths, Lips, and Edges 137 Lids and Covers 139 Spouts 144 Knobs and Finials 146 Handles 148 Lugs 151 Weights and Measures 152 Chapter 10 Pots for Eating From 154 Bowls 155 Plates 157 Chapter 11 Pots for Drinking From 159 Beakers, Tumblers, and Handleless Cups 159 Mugs 159 Cups and Saucers 159 Tea Bowls 160 Goblets and Chalices 162 Chapter 12 Pots for Storage 165 Kitchen Canisters 165 Tea Caddies and Tobacco Jars 165 Biscuit or Cookie Jars 166 Jam and Honey Pots 166 Bread Crocks 166 Rum Pots 166 Pickling Jars 166 Butter or Margarine Dishes 167 Cheese Bells 167 Containers for Liquids 168 Chapter 13 Pots for Pouring From 170 Pitchers 170 Decanters 170 Teapots 171 Coffee Pots 171 Sauce Boats 172 Chapter 14 Pots for Cooking In and Serving From 174 Closed Cooking Pots 174 Open Cooking Pots 175 Pots for Microwave Cooking 176 Pots for Serving From 177 Vegetable Dishes 179 Tureens 179 Chapter 15 Pots for Rituals and Contemplation 180 Pots for Flowers 180 Pots for the Ashes of the Dead 181 Pots for Contemplation 181 Chapter 16 Considerations 183 Form 183 Foot or Base 183 Rim 183 Lid 183 Spout or Pouring Lip 184 Handles, Knobs, and Lugs 184

5 Chapter 17 Technical Requirements 185 Caveat Emptor - Buyer Beware 185 Simplified Technology for the Studio Potter 187 PART FOUR: WAYS OF WORKING 191 Introduction 192 John Leach 194 Ruthanne Tudball 198 Gwyn Hanssen Pigott 202 Prue Venables 206 Bruce Cochrane 208 Friederike Rahn 210 Robin Hopper 212 Cathi Jefferson 216 Stanley Mace Andersen 218 Michael Kline 220 Walter Keeler 222 Kevin de Choisy 228 Denise Goyer and Alain Bonneau 230 Pascale Girardin 234 Eilene Sky 236 Jenny Lou Sherburne 238 Conclusion: Standards and Aesthetics 241 Bibliography 244 General 244 History 244 Aesthetics 246 Design and Architecture 246 Index 248

6 1Origins Clay is one of the earth s most abundant raw materials. It is constantly developing from the decomposition of certain igneous rocks. The earth s crust, to a depth of at least four miles, is primarily composed of igneous rocks, which decay and break down as they become exposed to weather conditions. Clay is in fact forming more quickly than it is being used. Since it is a common material over most of the earth s surface, pottery making probably emerged in sporadic developments, quite isolated from one another. Throughout the civilized history of mankind, after the gradual change from nomadic hunter and gatherer to settled farmer and animal breeder, clay has probably been the most consistently used material for improving the quality of life. Ceramic objects made since Neolithic times have included figurines and sculptures, lamps, bricks of all kinds, walls, roofing, flooring, decorative tiles, granaries, feeding troughs, chimney pots, pot stands, ovens, kilns, tannurs, beads, sickles, hoes, wall hooks, molds for foods, molds for pots and figures, molds for metallurgy, crucibles, waterwheel jars, drains, dovecotes, beehives, churns, latrines, sling stones, spit holders for cooking, potter s wheels, pipes for smoking, pipes for water, pipes for irrigation, pipes for sewage, cuneiform writing tablets, ostraca, execration figures and bowls, jar stamps, ossuaries, coffins, libation vessels, tax measures, tokens as coin substitutes, medical pastilles, gaming pieces, toilets and wash basins, and an endless variety of vessels. Looking at pottery in museums or as illustrations in books, one can t help but be amazed by the huge and subtle diversity of forms that man has molded clay into, for a wide variety of possible uses. Beyond the natural instincts of enjoying the purely manipulative quality of the material, and the function which is required of the formed objects, ceramic form has been influenced and altered by many factors and forces. Pottery developed as a response to the needs of mankind. Pots became containers and dispensers - pots of purpose. The forms they took developed for a variety of reasons: the use required; religious associations; as a substitute emulating other, more precious materials; geographical and climatic considerations; and the many variations in cultural customs. Once the basic needs became evident, forms were developed and made to serve them. The variety of ceramic vessel forms that have been created is almost infinite. Religious associations also had a profound effect on form development. Pots were made for fertility rites, deflowering of young girls, ritual libation vessels for the pouring of wine or oils, usually over sanctified ground, through to flower vases for temples and shrines of many Oriental countries. They also include pots made for funeral rites and ceremonies dating far back into the earliest of cultures. In Ancient Egypt, rulers and other people of power were embalmed and mummified after death. Their internal organs, or viscera, were removed during the embalming process and were later interred with the mummy in four canopic jars, surmounted with modeled heads of the jackal (the stomach), the baboon (the lungs), the falcon (the intestines), and the human (liver). Clay form has been greatly influenced by objects made from materials other than clay. Functional objects in use by different strata of any society might simultaneously have included objects made in gold, silver, bronze, pewter, copper, stone (mainly onyx, alabaster, or limestone), glass, wood, bone, leather, roots, reeds and grasses, or clay. Not all these materials were used by all cultures, but in each culture there was a hierarchy of materials that were used, mainly as a symbol of status. Clay was usually at the lower end of the status scale and often used to simulate objects made in a material of a higher value (see page 37). Chinese porcelain was Origins 15

7 Fig. 1.1 Indian and African water jars. perhaps the only early ceramic development which was afforded the recognition of being a material of substantial value. In some cultures, notably India, pottery was the disposable material, like today s paper, Styrofoam, or polystyrene. In some parts of India, everyday pottery was thrown away after use, either as a measure of hygiene or by religious doctrine, or both. Geographic and climatic considerations are responsible for many form variations. Firstly, the availability of clay and the types of available clay determine to some extent the objects that can be made in any given area. For instance, there may be only alluvial or silty red clay, or buff clay with a large amount of sand in it, as one finds in many parts of the Middle East and Africa. The pottery there is of a very direct nature, with little opportunity for excessive manipulation. In other areas, where there may be an abundance of highly plastic clays, pots of a much more fluid nature may develop. Plastic clays will usually tolerate a great deal more manipulation, and therefore more complex forms are likely to emerge. Different pots are made at high altitudes than those made at sea level, not only because of the clay content but also because of the firing variations at higher altitudes. Climatic conditions have also played an important role. In hot countries, water is a precious commodity. Pots made for storing water are usually shaped to conserve water from excessive evaporation; therefore, they usually have comparatively narrow necks. Water is either tipped out or lifted out with a small ladle or dipping pot attached to a string. A vessel may even be a totally enclosed form with just a minute spout and small filling hole (Fig. 1.1). The forms themselves may be quite extended and bulbous to expose a maximum of surface to condensation on the outside of the pot, in order to keep the water cool inside. There are usually a considerable number of insects in hot countries, which are kept out of the containers by various cunning devices such as enclosed forms, objects that fill from the base, strainers, and many anti-insect lid and spout variations. Fig. 1.2 Pre-Columbian vessels from Peru. Designed for easy carrying and to prevent insects from entering. In cold or temperate climates, forms of cups and bowls are often more closed than open so that hot foods don t cool too quickly, and the pots can also be a source of heating for the hands. Other climates will undoubtedly have their special effects. Mankind s varied cultural customs and living habits have yet other influences on the development of form in functional pottery. For example, the way that the pottery is used, and in what sort of environment, has a strong effect on the way that the bases of ceramic objects are made. In cultures that use tables, the base of the object needs to be flat or nearly flat. In other cultures that may have little use for tables, pots may be hung from branches, walls, hooks, or ceiling joists: pots used in this way often have pointed bases. In yet other cultures, the objects may be placed directly on earth or sand floors: in this case, we often find pots with rounded bases that can be made to tip or roll easily in use. These forms would often be set on a braided fiber ring, or even a ceramic ring, to facilitate tipping (Fig. 1.4). In a further development of form, pointed or round-based pots were halfburied for the storage of liquid that needed to be kept cool. It is much easier to bury, or half-bury, a pot with a rounded base than one with a flat base. In some places, where the contour of the ground was uneven, tripod or multiple feet were developed to keep the piece stable. Carrying methods also have a strong bearing on form. In many cultures, particularly in Africa, objects are made with round bases to fit onto the head, separated and kept secure by a ring of fibrous material. In others, 16 Made to be Used

8 Fig. 1.3 Mycenaen. Late Helladic side-spouted, necked jar with basket handle and insect strainer. Buff clay with decoration. Height 27.4 cm. Courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum: Museum Collection Fund. Fig. 1.5 Tripod vessels: 1) Cooking pot, 13th - 14th century A.D., North Germany; 2) and 3), spouted vessels, B.C., China. Fig. 1.4 Braided fiber rings. particularly in mountainous parts of South America, the pots were carried on the upper part of the back, or slung behind the neck by a rope or cloth sling placed through the pot s low level handles and around the person s forehead. The handles that were the support loops for the slings were carefully contoured so that they had no sharp edges that might cut the fabric. Their placement was also critical to good support and mobility (Fig. 1.6). The ways and means of preparing and serving food and drink have also had their effect on form development. In early primitive societies, food was mostly consumed in its raw or uncooked state. The diet of early civilizations consisted of little more than various forms of grain with the occasional portion of meat or fish, and beer made from fermented grain to wash the food down Fig. 1.6 Aryballus, Inca; burnished earthenware. Origins 17

9 Fig. 1.7 Variations on Classic Greek and Apulian drinking vessels: kylix, skyphos, kantharos, and mastos. Kylix courtesy of The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts; skyphos courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum: loaned by Miss Iris C. Love. and aid digestion. The earliest forms of cooking were by either direct cooking of meat or fish by impaling bits of flesh on sticks and holding them in front of a fire, or by a form of steaming. This was done by heating rocks in a depression in the ground, or by placing hot rocks in a basket. In both cases, the rocks were covered with a thin layer of damp leaves or seaweed and the food placed on top. This was then covered with further layers of leaves, and sometimes earth or sand to contain the heat and steam. Both of these simple cooking methods were, and are still, common to many areas; other timeless methods are cooking on top of embers, as well as on both charcoal and peat. As cooked foods became more widespread, different ways of cooking also developed. Pottery was developed to serve these needs, although in some cultures, notably India and Islam, iron, copper, and brass cooking pots were preferred. Of all the pottery that we can see in the museums of the world, cooking pots are perhaps the least in evidence, most likely because of their fragility from continual use, but also because they may not have been held in high enough esteem to be placed in tombs to accompany the deceased in the afterlife. Most of the pots that one finds in museums were made to be used rather than just to be looked at. Often they had a special significance and were mainly used for the less damaging actions of daily life. With a gradually changing role from utility to contemplation at certain periods of history, the pots of some cultures attained a glorified role and were made expressly to be looked at. This happened particularly in England, Europe, and Czarist Russia from the mideighteenth to the mid-nineteenth centuries, where a large volume of interior ceramic accessories had little or no function other than a decorative one. Among these one would find mantelpiece garniture sets, obelisks, and centerpieces, often based on structures and forms from the classical world of Egypt, Greece, and Rome. In many cultures, simple pottery forms were often endowed with spiritual or symbolic significance which has become lost with the passing of time. Vessels generally are the universal feminine symbol, the womb of the Great Mother, shelter, protection, preservation, nourishment, and fertility. They also represent inwardness and inner values. Bowls represent giving or offering, and fertility. The seven small bowls placed on a Buddhist shrine represent the seven offerings for an honored guest: flowers, incense, illumination, perfume, food, water for drinking, and water for washing with. Lidded forms, covered jars, boxes, urns, or bottles represent the feminine principle of containing, enclosure, or the 18 Made to be Used

10 womb. The chalice, cup, or goblet represents the source of inexhaustible sustenance or abundance, the heart and salvation, plenty, immortality, and receptivity. The ewer is a symbol of purity, and of washing the hands in innocence. Gourd-shaped vessels represent mystery and longevity. The vase, water-pot, and pitcher symbolize the cosmic waters, the Great Mother, fertility, perpetual harmony, and the heart. Even games have had their effect on shaping some pottery forms. In Classical Greece, a game called Kottabos was played using the wine cup or kylix. The kylix is a stemmed cup with elegant handles. In the game, a finger was crooked through the handle and then, with a flick of the wrist, the dregs of remaining wine were flipped at a target across the room. If the aim was accurate, the thrower dislodged a flat metal disc from the top of a metal stand, which then fell to the floor with a resounding crash. Both the shape of the cup and the handle had some effect on the efficiency of the game, and the resultant kylix form was one of great elegance. Variations on the kylix form have been abundant since the neoclassic period of the eighteenth century (Fig. 1.7). A piece of pottery, then, is an amalgam of many things. In the late twentieth century, we may not be aware of many of the attributes, considerations, and hidden meanings that are built into pots of old, or of their importance to the cultures that made them. More often than not, we are only aware of the form or surface itself, and of one culture s forms in relation to those of another. Through television, books, and magazines we have become aware of the twodimensional graphic image of what a pot may be, often becoming more interested in profile and surface than with inner qualities. Much of the pottery of the western hemisphere has become more concerned with the clothing that goes over the body than with the basic form itself. In some oriental cultures, the pot is seen as soul, where volume and form grow from the depths within, and the outside shape is a direct result of the inner form. Perhaps in the western hemisphere, we are more concerned with appearances than with truth or meaning; with clothes that obscure the form rather than glory in it. Maybe by contemplation and study of the uses and meanings of pots of the past, we can infuse a greater understanding and content into our own developing works. Thirty spokes share the wheel s hub; It is the centre hole that makes it useful. Shape clay into a vessel; It is the space within that makes it useful. Cut doors and windows for a room; It is the holes that make it useful. Therefore profit comes from what is there; Usefulness from what is not there. From Tao-Te Ching by Lao Tsu. New Translation by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English. New York: Vintage Books. Origins 19