Description:

Barbara Molentin Heard (American, 20th century CE). Pottery Urns with Driftwood Handles, n.d., both signed on base. A lovely pair of pit-fired raku style pottery vessels marked "89114" and "1131" by fine artist Barbara Heard. These are wheel formed with hand-built lid handles, dried, fired, and then placed in saltwater to absorb the ash, followed by another firing this time in an open-air sandpit lined with flammable materials. In this final step the pottery coloration and ephemeral patterns are determined by the smoke, wind, and weather conditions that occur during this 8-hour firing period – the surface of each piece Heard makes is highly unique due to this process. The driftwood handles accentuate the ocean theme which is naturally imbued into the pottery during their creation. Heard has been active in the ceramic world since 1977, graduating with a master’s in fine arts from Tulane University in 1990. Size of taller urn: 10" W x 22" H (25.4 cm x 55.9 cm)

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Ida L. collection, Mt. Vernon, New York, USA, acquired in the 1970s - 1980s

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#179598

  • Condition: One side of arched handle is reattached on larger lid, break line on rim and handle base. Small chip to smaller lid rim. Minor nicks, but bodies of both vessels are intact. Signed and numbered on both bases.

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September 1, 2023 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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