Closed-Form Ceramic Moon Pot with Rattle by Toshiko Takaezu

A ceramic closed-form pot with rattle by Japanese American artist Toshiko Takaezu (American, 1922 - 2011), circa 1980-1990s. This moon pot was hand0built and it takes a more organic form without being perfectly round. It has an unusual version of the sprout with multiple-nipples surrounding a tiny air hole on top and a ring base that cut to minimize the height in order to accentuate the moon shape. The surface is covered with brilliant layers of mottled glaze in hues of purple, cobalt blue, brown, beige and black. Applied in her iconic style with brushes, dipping and pouring, the glaze on this pot takes a striking abstract expression, as the artist intended to treat the circular surface of the pot as canvas, and glaze as paints. The strong color combination is just stunning. Rattles were placed inside the pot, making a wonderful sound when being shaken. The lower part of the pot is covered in a black oily glaze and there are some small firing crack lines and small glaze skip, creating a wabi-sabi aesthetic that often seen in the spontaneity of the artist's practice. This piece comes from the same collection as the other three signed pots also offered for sale, but it is not signed. Note: there are many known examples of the moon pots by the artist that are not signed.
From an American collection in NY.
The iconic close-form vessel by the artist takes the simplest organic form but is instilled with a deeper philosophy. The void space and the air trapped inside of the pot was considered by the artist as important as the physical material that defines the space. They were created with the artist's signature abstract and poetic approach: free hand and wabi-sabi. The artist's work, heavily influenced by the Japanese ceramic tradition and aesthetics, elevated pottery into the status of fine art.
For a pot with similar sprout, see plate 35 in the book "Toshiko Takaezu World Within".
And item 2009.350 in the collection of Denver Art Museum (donated by the artist).
For two pots with comparable glaze color and pattern, see plate 149 a d 162 in the same book above.