Trapezoidal Open Disk

Otto Natzler, Trapezoidal Open Disk, 1986, earthenware with olive and sang de boeuf glaze, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of an anonymous donor, 1987.71
Copied Otto Natzler, Trapezoidal Open Disk, 1986, earthenware with olive and sang de boeuf glaze, 11 1⁄4 x 9 3⁄4 x 2 3⁄4 in. (28.7 x 24.8 x 7.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of an anonymous donor, 1987.71

Artwork Details

Title
Trapezoidal Open Disk
Artist
Date
1986
Location
Dimensions
11 1⁄4 x 9 3⁄4 x 2 3⁄4 in. (28.7 x 24.8 x 7.0 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of an anonymous donor
Mediums
Mediums Description
earthenware with olive and sang de boeuf glaze
Classifications
Object Number
1987.71
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1987.71

Artwork Description

Otto Natzler began his career in pottery with his wife and collaborator, Gertrud Natzler. The pair created textured, classical forms, which Gertrud threw on the wheel and Otto glazed. After Gertrud's death in 1971, Otto felt he could not create thrown pieces on his own, so he turned to hand-building, making unusually shaped sculptures like Trapezoidal Open Disk, instead. Natzler used a technique known as reduction firing, combining several organic materials and chemicals that limit the creation of oxygen when they burn. This resulted in a variety of colors and surface textures, like the fissures (hairline cracks) on the surface of this piece. In addition, Trapezoidal Open Disk was glazed multiple times. Sang glaze, commonly referred to as sang de boeuf or oxblood for its deep red hue, peeks through the olive color in several places, most noticeably along the base.