Pillow Pitcher

Media - 1992.42 - SAAM-1992.42_1 - 11465
Copied Betty Woodman, Pillow Pitcher, 1983, glazed earthenware, 191623 in. (48.340.758.4 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Jocelyn and Charles Woodman, 1992.42

Artwork Details

Title
Pillow Pitcher
Date
1983
Dimensions
191623 in. (48.340.758.4 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Jocelyn and Charles Woodman
Mediums
Mediums Description
glazed earthenware
Classifications
Object Number
1992.42

Artwork Description

The Pillow Pitcher, inspired by traditional Etruscan vessels and Chinese porcelain pillows, is a shape that Woodman has worked with numerous times. To make the pitcher look like an overstuffed pillow bursting at the seams, the artist made two cylinders, which she attached in the middle and pinched closed at the ends. Her vibrant colors and painterly technique create a liveliness and energy in this piece. Woodman individualizes each of her unusual pots by designing different spouts and handles. In this pillow pitcher, for example, the spout is simultaneously short and elongated, complementing the horizontal form.