Leaping Hare

Ken Ferguson led the ceramics department at the Kansas City Art Institute for four decades, teaching countless students and making the city a center for ceramics making and collecting. Ferguson drew from traditional methods used in Asian ceramics and British slipware, and redefined the material with new forms, techniques and motifs. Ferguson's Leaping Hare platter remains functional, but the true focus lies in the spontaneity and animation of its surface and decoration. As a prairie jackrabbit prepares to leap, its powerful rear legs push off the rim as its ears break through and extend beyond the edge, making the platter surge with an inherent energy.