Large Art Pottery Vase in the Japanese Taste by Jeff Shapiro, Circa 1990

Natural chemical reactions to temperature define the glaze patterns in this stunning vase from Jeff Shapiro's wood-fired Anagama kiln at his studio in Accord, New York. The vase is hand-thrown into this classical, elegant form, and then glazed for firing. The large Japanese-style Anagama wood-fired kiln process takes approximately twenty-five days to load, fire, and cool in order to realize this style of pottery and glaze. The patterns and drippings are the results of this technique. The glaze is allowed to form itself into patterns and to cover areas by chance.

Shapiro lived and studied pottery-making in Japan for nine years in the 1970s. When he returned to the United States, he set up Japanese-style kilns at his studio in New York State. He also wrote a book entitled "Falling from the Tree" about his life in Japan while studying under his mentor, Kabumoto Nobuo. He has art pottery pieces in many museums and collections around the globe, including the Brooklyn Museum in New York and the Museum of Fine Art in Boston.