Teapot

Artist Kenneth Ferguson (American, 1928 - 2004)

Date1982

MediumStoneware with glaze

DimensionsOverall: 19 × 11 inches (48.26 × 27.94 cm)

Credit LineGift of the Morgan Gallery and Peter Voulkos in memory of Jim Morgan

Object numberF83-6 A,B

On View

Not on view

Collections

Architecture, Design and Decorative Arts

Terms

DescriptionLarge cylindrical teapot made of rough slab clay. main form like an arch with a prominent keystone. rectangular base area attached to right side. white, orange, and mustard yellow. sits down into rim of teapot and has a hollow knob like a vase form.Gallery Label

Gallery Label

Ken Ferguson's body of work illustrates his personal philosophy: "I enjoy the versatility of clay. For this reason I work with functional and nonfunctional forms….I try to be honest with myself and honest with the clay." Ferguson's honesty can be seen in the functionality and stability of the lidded teapot as it plays against the textured, free-flowing glaze and slightly irregular form of the vessel. These qualities share a synergy with Tanimoto Kai's Iga ware tea bowl, a thick-walled vessel fired in high temperatures that cause intriguing patterns of scorch marks.

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