Storied Tall Ceramic Pot with Rattle and Fingerprints by Toshiko Takaezu

A fantastic ceramic closed-form pot with rattle by Japanese American artist Toshiko Takaezu (American, 1922 - 2011).
The story: In the 1980s, potter Lola Rae invited Toshika to her ceramic studio and kiln in Ojai, CA to teach a class. Lola Rae had previously worked as a studio assistant for artist Beatrice Wood for eight years. This pot was one of the pieces Toshiko made on site during the class and workshop. Together with the other pot on offer, they stayed in Lola Rae's personal collection until now.
The vessel: The closed-form pot features a tri-color scheme with beige-white on the upper body, lighter brown in the mid-section and deep brown on the lower portion. Striking dark strokes with mottled blue color boldly cross the white background on the upper body, leaving a sharp contrast with abstract pattern. In the middle section, there are apparently four round marks intentionally left by the artist's fingertips to smear the glaze into effect. Potter's grooves circumvent most of the body surface. A rattle was placed in the pot and make wonderful sound. The base was marked with the artist's TT signature.
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.
A unique piece by Toshiko with her fingerprint and wonderful provenance. Highly collectible.