Dennis Lane, Vase

Crank clay with oxide H23 x D7 cm

Wood fired Stoneware H18 x D12 cm

Stoneware with Tenmoku glaze H36 x D18 cm

Glazed stoneware H30 x D19 cm

A stunning Canadian studio pottery miniature bowl decorated in yellow glazes with an associated pottery stand by Lane Gordon Thorlaksson (Canadian, 1937-2009) dated 1976. Lane Gordon Thorlaksson was born in 1937 in Winnipeg, Manitoba and moved to Vancouver as a child. In his twenties, he represented Canada in the 1959 Chicago Pan-American Games, running alongside Henry 'Harry' Winston Jerome in both the 100 yard and 220-yard dash. Following this, he attended San Jose University of California and in 1966 received a BFA in Ceramics. Working with clay was Thorlaksson’s passion. He was fascinated with Asian ceramics, in particular the Song dynasty Chinese pot forms and glazes. In 1985, the Mayor of Vancouver, Mike Harcourt, visited China on a goodwill mission for the twinning of Vancouver with Guangzhou China. As gifts, he took with him several of Thorlaksson’s ceramics and presented them to Cao Yun-ping, Secretary-General of the People's Municipal Government of Guangzhou. The pieces were well received and local Chinese potters were interested to learn about his glazing techniques. In 1987, Thorlaksson was invited to visit China’s Guangzhou University to exhibit more of his work. He was aided in this exchange by Joanne Mah, the Director of Intercultural Training and Educational Consultants (ITEC), who had worked with the Harcourt exchange. In 1988, she and her husband sponsored a pre-gallery showing of Thorlaksson’s ceramics at the ITEC’s Hong Kong office, prior to an exhibition at Alvin Gallery in Hong Kong. Thorlaksson was celebrated and introduced to academics and the media, including the head of ceramics at the Guangzhou Institute of Fine Arts. Local Chinese potters were eager to learn about his firing techniques, which used multiple firings to create special glaze characteristics. They were also intrigued to understand how he designed his own stands as an integrated part of his presentation. Unlike Asian potters who used wooden stands, Thorlaksson produced his stands in clay, matching each stand in aesthetic and tone to its pot. This two-part process elevated his pieces to sculpture. He believed that ceramics should be viewed as fine art and not craft. He was inspired by the female form and was quoted as saying 'Most potters make pots; I make parts of people'. The bowl is of wide squat rounded form with a fold over rim and is decorated in pale yellow glazes over a brown ground and stands on a narrow round unglazed foot. The design is probably based and inspired by a Chinese brush washer...

A rare, beautifully designed glass or ceramic form by famed midcentury American artist or potter Doyle Lane. Lane was a glaze specialist much like Glen Lukens and Otto Natzler. His colorful glazes would melt, bubble and crack over his pieces creating a very tactile look and feel. His work ranged from beaded necklaces and pendants to small, delicate vases or weed pots to ceramic sculptures, clay paintings, and large scale wall mosaics (including his most well-known work - an 18-foot mosaic or mural known as the orange wall which was commissioned by architect Welton Becket...

A beautifully designed, gorgeously glazed, original ceramic three three-bead set (one burnt red, one ocean blue, one white crackle glaze) by famed mid-century American artist and potter Doyle Lane...

Green glazed ceramic vase.