Teapot
Artist
Richard T. Notkin
(American, born 1948)
Date1981-1984
MediumPorcelain with glaze
DimensionsOverall: 6 × 6 7/8 × 6 7/8 inches (15.24 × 17.46 × 17.46 cm)
Credit LinePurchase: the Jim Morgan Memorial Fund
Object numberF84-40 A,B
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionPyramidal form with handle on left and spout on right. with green and purple glazes. the face of a skull with a full set of teeth, somewhat flattened and extended around to sides. and thin squiggly lines representing seams in the sections of the skull.Gallery LabelRichard Notkin glazed and fired this teapot in the form of a pyramidal skull at the Kansas City Art Institute, where he had been a student. The combined shapes speak to the opposing forces of life and death, mortality and immortality. The meticulously crafted skull symbolizes both the capabilities and flaws of the human mind. For Notkin, "the pointed heads of the skulls transposed onto pyramids equate intellectual development with spiritual death." The teapot's small scale, geometric form and blushing "peach bloom" glaze with green flecks reflect Notkin's interest in Asian ceramic traditions.
Copyright© Richard T. Notkin
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