Teapot

Artist John Gill (American, born 1949)

Date1996

MediumStoneware with glaze

DimensionsOverall: 9 1/2 × 16 1/2 × 7 inches (24.13 × 41.91 × 17.78 cm)

Credit LineGift of Fifi White

Object numberF96-51/3 A,B

Signedon bottom in brown glaze: Gill 69

On View

Not on view

Collections

Architecture, Design and Decorative Arts

Terms

DescriptionSlab-built, irregular convex polyhedral form with horizontal dominant. Blue glazed interior; exterior polychromed in irregular contoured shapes. Handle (at right) and adjacent portion of vessel are blue/green. Spout (opposite at left) is lavender with brown speckling - both running during firing process. Front: two triangular speckled lavender triangles, two triangular and one irregular light blue sections, 1 irregular tan with brown stroke section. Back: one pale green biomorphic form, one irregular tan and brown section, one triangular unglazed section, two triangular and one irregular light blue sections. Lid: gable-like glazed tan with blue egg-shaped knob.Gallery Label

Gallery Label

The form may be familiar, but this teapot challenges conventional expectations of this functional vessel. The jaunty angularity of the pot's top, lid and spout are underscored by blocks of contrasting glazes, which emphasize the physical structure. The rounded body and handle soften the geometry while maintaining the lively palette of overlapping layers of color. John Gill, a graduate of the Kansas City Art Institute, appreciated the school's dual regard for nonconventional ceramics and what he called the "historical traditions of potmaking." Gill was inspired by the brightly hued glazes and complex forms of ancient Persian ceramics.

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