
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.
This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World, 2022
- Title
-
Imperial Yellow Dish with Pedestal
- Artist
- Date
- 1988
- Location
- Dimensions
- 4 x 11 1⁄4 in. (10.2 x 28.6 cm) diam., irregular
- Credit Line
-
Smithsonian American Art Museum
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
- Palette
- Linked Open Data
- Linked Open Data URI