Large Unusual Ceramic Pot with Rattle and Handprint by Toshiko Takaezu

A tall closed-form ceramic pot with rattle by Japanese American artist Toshiko Takaezu (American, 1922 - 2011) circa 1980-90s. The impressive stone vessel on offer is covered in a background of dark brown glaze with a subtle metallic hue. The mid-section is splashed with white matrix-like glaze mixing with brownish-black mottled colors. What unusual about this vessel is its unconventional construction. The wheel-thrown pot has a "skirt" in the mid-section, apparently added by the artist and it prominently manifests the artist's finger marks. The relief forms a portion of the skirt and extends downward, catching a snapshot of the potter kneading the clay into place. It was possible that the artist joined two spheres together with an intended midbody layer, or she was attempting to repair a mishap, a crack on the wheel perhaps. It is hard to know exactly but the result is quite striking and full of characters. The artist-intended imperfection perfectly embodies the wabi-sabi spirit of Toshiko's philosophy in pottery making. The color of the glaze is quiet, on the sober side, but doesn't lack drama at all with the white glaze forming a sharp contrast with its abstract pattern. Potter's grooves circumvent the body, rendering it an architectural texture. A rattle was placed in the pot and make wonderful sound. The base was marked with the artist's TT signature.
Compare this pot with item 2007-68-9 in the collection of Philadelphia Museum of Art, a smaller pot which also bears a handprint by the artist.
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.