African Sgraffito Studio Art Pottery Miniature Seed Jar / Bud Vase - $25 (ALBUQUERQUE)

African Sgraffito Studio Art Pottery Miniature Seed Jar / Bud Vase 1

African Sgraffito Studio Art Pottery Miniature Seed Jar / Bud Vase 1 thumbnail

condition: excellent

QR Code Link to This Post

Vintage African Sgraffito Studio Art Pottery Miniature Seed Jar / Bud Vase. Hand-thrown from fine red earthenware clay, this squat, globular vessel features a short, widely flared rim and a smooth, unglazed dark grey-to-black smoked clay base. The body is decorated with an artistic horizontal pit-fired smoke transition gradient, shifting beautifully from a rich terracotta-orange shoulder down into a hazy, fire-kissed charcoal mid-section. It displays two expertly hand-carved sgraffito wildlife wildlife vignettes etched through a dark slip layer to reveal the contrasting lighter body beneath: one side features a detailed side-profile portrait of a Zebra head with intricate, crisp hand-scratched mane and facial stripes; the reverse side depicts a stylized Acacia tree silhouetted against a mountain ridge line. Measures 2.25 inches tall with a flat, smooth, unsigned bottom measuring 2.5 inches in diameter. Originating from an African art cooperative or studio workshop.
Item Details:
• The Technique: This piece showcases classic sgraffito decoration combined with traditional pit-firing or smoke-kiln firing. The artist coats the raw clay body with a contrasting dark slip or underglaze, then meticulously carves away individual fine lines using a sharp stylus tool to produce the negative spaces of the zebra's stripes and the tree limbs. The vase is then subjected to an open or reduction firing, which lets real smoke and flame elements leave unique carbon flash marks (the variable dark grey clouding on the base).
• Design & Form: The piece uses a traditional "seed jar" profile—a squat, stable silhouette with an extra-wide footprint (matching its 2.5-inch bottom diameter closely to its 2.25-inch height) designed to keep small treasures or seeds secure without tipping over.
• Condition Notes: The vessel remains in excellent estate condition. The unglazed, burnished exterior slip layers show no scuffs, gouges, or flaking. The crisp lines of the zebra's eyes and ears are perfectly intact, and the flat, smooth dark grey base is completely free of structural chips or fractures.

post id: 7979757588

posted: 2026-10-07 16:10

♥ best of ^[?]

reading

writing

saving

searching

refresh the page.