Venus vessel

This narrow-necked stoneware pot has three feet, with shapely curves and a gentle sway. It is hand coiled with impressed decorative markings and burnished to a satin finish. The colours come from wood, copper and seaweed during a 12-hour pit-firing and are fixed in the pores which close when cooling. The resulting surface is white with bold yet delicate trails of rich carbon-reduced black, smoky bluish-greys and scattered red flushes.