Lidded Jars

The lidded jar is one of my favorite forms, bordering on the edge of functional and purely decorative. The interplay between the surface pattern or texture and the glaze adds to the means of expression and complements the form itself.

The image shows several of my favorite jars and is the one picture that usually invokes the response, "very Japanese looking".

The second image is of a collection of taller more cylindrical shaped vessels in a jade green glaze.

In this selection we can see the beginnings of my fascination with the form and fit of the lid of each of vessels. In many ways this is the most technical part of the making and design process.

This piece demonstrates the combination of several aspects of the design of my jars;

• The overall "bellied" form
• The surface texture - random hand carved 
• The glaze colour and its interaction with the surface
• The lid fitting inside the gallery in the top of the vessel
• The handle of the lid a rough formed circular knob
• The foot ring which elevates the vessel up from the display surface.