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Robert Turner, Akan, 1984, wheel-thrown, glazed, and sandblasted stoneware, 17 3⁄8 x 12 3⁄8 x 11 1⁄4 in. (44.2 x 31.5 x 28.6 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of KPMG Peat Marwick, 1993.54.20
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Akan
- Artist
- Date
- 1984
- Location
- Dimensions
- 17 3⁄8 x 12 3⁄8 x 11 1⁄4 in. (44.2 x 31.5 x 28.6 cm)
- Credit Line
- Gift of KPMG Peat Marwick
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- wheel-thrown, glazed, and sandblasted stoneware
- Classifications
- Object Number
- 1993.54.20
Artwork Description
Robert Turner created many vessels inspired by his travels through Africa in the 1970s. This piece reflects the circular houses of West Africa’s Akan communities, with their domelike roofs and the smoke holes covered by “black and charred” pots that caught Turner’s eye. He added long, thin pieces of clay to the surface so that they “move” around the pot as if “in a dance, spanning space like a bridge.” (Turner, “Born Remembering,” The Studio Potter, June 1982)