Bowl

Laura Andreson, Bowl, 1939, earthenware with uranium glaze, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Forrest L. Merrill, 2021.98.2
Copied Laura Andreson, Bowl, 1939, earthenware with uranium glaze, 411 78 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Forrest L. Merrill, 2021.98.2

Artwork Details

Title
Bowl
Date
1939
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
411 78 in.
Credit Line
Gift of Forrest L. Merrill
Mediums
Mediums Description
earthenware with uranium glaze
Keywords
  • Object — other — dish
Object Number
2021.98.2

Artwork Description

This relatively simple form shows off the mustard-yellow glaze, made brilliant by uranium (a radioactive element no longer used in ceramics). Laura Andreson boldly experimented with glaze formulas in the 1930s, when there was scant documentation on the chemistry. She founded the ceramics department at the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1933 and taught thousands of students until her retirement in 1970. The surface of this bowl suggests the crackled texture of the California desert.


This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World, 2022

Exhibitions

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This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World
May 13, 2022April 2, 2023
This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World showcases the dynamic landscape of American craft today.