Imperial Yellow Dish with Pedestal

Cliff Lee, Imperial Yellow Dish with Pedestal, 1988, porcelain and glaze, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Carol and Bill Wright in memory of Dr. Edward L. Katz, 2010.36.2A-B
Copied Cliff Lee, Imperial Yellow Dish with Pedestal, 1988, porcelain and glaze, 4 x 11 1⁄4 in. (10.2 x 28.6 cm) diam., irregular, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Carol and Bill Wright in memory of Dr. Edward L. Katz, 2010.36.2A-B

Artwork Details

Title
Imperial Yellow Dish with Pedestal
Artist
Date
1988
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
4 x 11 1⁄4 in. (10.2 x 28.6 cm) diam., irregular
Credit Line
Gift of Carol and Bill Wright in memory of Dr. Edward L. Katz
Mediums Description
porcelain and glaze
Classifications
Object Number
2010.36.2A-B
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2010.36.2A-B

Artwork Description

Cliff Lee is renowned for his complex glazes. It took the artist seventeen years to perfect the Imperial Yellow (also known as Chicken Fat Yellow) glaze on this serving dish. The color recreates a famous porcelain finish from the fifteenth-century Ming dynasty of China.


Trained as a neurosurgeon, Lee brings his extensive knowledge of the sciences to concocting ambitious glaze recipes. In the broader history of American studio craft, once separate disciplines like science and art have been brought together by shared passions for curiosity and mastery of skill.

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