[Clayart] an old pot as a gift

[Robert Harris]

That is a wonderful story. I am so glad you decided to do that for at least
this one pot.

My biggest issue with museums of crafts (or anything that is meant to be
functional), is that these things may no longer be touched. It's sort of
the potters equivalent of whether a falling tree makes a sound when nobody
can hear it. Is a pot truly a pot if it is no longer touched (and used)?

When I go back to the UK to see my sister, I always go and visit the top
floor of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the entirety of which is one of
the biggest collections of pottery in the world (as well as a perfect
reassembling of a small part of Lucie Rie's studio). But there is also an
ineffable sadness about seeing all of these wonderful old pots  stuck
behind glass. (Unfortunately there's also far too much awful, revolting
Victorian stuff too!) The same with the wonderful display of Chinese
porcelains of the Percival David foundation at the British Museum. I know
that if you make an appointment you can actually get to handle some of it
(even a regular Joe off the street, I believe), but still, there are these
pots, frozen in a sort of stasis of time because they are no longer being
touched and loved and used.

I sort of feel the same way about any of the "decorative arts"
(particularly furniture), but I think pots hit me hardest because of my own
feelings as a maker.

Robert

On Fri, 20 Sep 2019 at 11:31, mel jacobson <melpots at mail.com> wrote:

> old pots bring out the best in old potters.
>
> ron roy has admired, coveted and loved an old
> pot...well over thousand years old, on my
> wall of shelves with my treasures.  he has been to my
> home on a couple of occasions.
>
> when i told ron all the treasures were going to
> amoca he `in panic voice`/ `not the old one too?`
>
> `ron, they are all going.`
>
> the pot is not a famous name, famous, or worth money, it is just
> a perfect old asian pot...he thinks japan, i think korea.  but, it is
> a pot a potter would love.  i think he was crestfallen.  he was in love
> with that pot...liz said he had dreams about that old pot.
>
> so, at nceca, that old pot changed homes. it was a pleasant surprise.
> it was wrapped in bubble wrap lovingly. boxed and even had a carry \
> handle.  i gave it to ron.
> as it should be.
> mel
> i was not going to advertise that exchange...sort of a quiet gift.
> but, this conversation on clayart made the perfect moment to
> reveal that loving exchange.
>
>
>
> website: www.melpots.com
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.clayartworld.com/pipermail/clayart/attachments/20190921/19022cde/attachment.html>