Three-Faced Hand-Built Studio Pottery Vase
Art / Studio Pottery / Ceramics

Three-Faced Hand-Built Studio Pottery Vase

This is a large-scale, artisanal studio pottery vessel featuring three distinct human faces protruding from a central cylindrical core. The item is constructed from a heavy stoneware clay with a coarse, sandy texture and is finished in a monochromatic earth-toned glaze, ranging from ochre to metallic bronze. Each face is sculpted with realistic anatomical features—well-defined noses, lips, and closed or heavy-lidded eyes—evoking a sense of serenity or introspection. The vertical body of the vase is textured with horizontal ribbing and flanked by prominent, scalloped or notched ridges that create a serrated silhouette. Small horizontal apertures are located near the top of the ridges, perhaps intended for specific floral placement. The construction appears to be slab-built and hand-modeled, indicating a mid-20th-century to contemporary studio craft origin. Condition-wise, the piece shows an aged patina with some accumulation of dust in the recessed textures, but no major structural cracks or chips are visible from this angle. The glaze exhibits a slight metallic sheen, which suggests a reduction firing process. This sculptural piece reflects a Brutalist or Modernist aesthetic, emphasizing raw materials and the human form, likely produced as a unique gallery piece rather than mass-produced ware.

Estimated Value

$1,200 - $1,850

Basic Information

Category

Art / Studio Pottery / Ceramics

Appraised On

April 7, 2026

Estimated Value

$1,200 - $1,850

Item Description

This is a large-scale, artisanal studio pottery vessel featuring three distinct human faces protruding from a central cylindrical core. The item is constructed from a heavy stoneware clay with a coarse, sandy texture and is finished in a monochromatic earth-toned glaze, ranging from ochre to metallic bronze. Each face is sculpted with realistic anatomical features—well-defined noses, lips, and closed or heavy-lidded eyes—evoking a sense of serenity or introspection. The vertical body of the vase is textured with horizontal ribbing and flanked by prominent, scalloped or notched ridges that create a serrated silhouette. Small horizontal apertures are located near the top of the ridges, perhaps intended for specific floral placement. The construction appears to be slab-built and hand-modeled, indicating a mid-20th-century to contemporary studio craft origin. Condition-wise, the piece shows an aged patina with some accumulation of dust in the recessed textures, but no major structural cracks or chips are visible from this angle. The glaze exhibits a slight metallic sheen, which suggests a reduction firing process. This sculptural piece reflects a Brutalist or Modernist aesthetic, emphasizing raw materials and the human form, likely produced as a unique gallery piece rather than mass-produced ware.

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