Porcelain Bowl with Green Glaze

Copied Elsa Rady, Porcelain Bowl with Green Glaze, 1979, glazed porcelain, 5 x 9 3⁄4 x 9 3⁄4 in. (12.7 x 24.8 x 24.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Donna and John Donaldson in memory of Jean and John Michael on the occasion of the Fifteenth Anniversary of the James Renwick Alliance and the Twenty-fifth Anniversary of the Renwick Gallery, 1997.109.18

Artwork Details

Title
Porcelain Bowl with Green Glaze
Artist
Date
1979
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
5 x 9 3⁄4 x 9 3⁄4 in. (12.7 x 24.8 x 24.8 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Donna and John Donaldson in memory of Jean and John Michael on the occasion of the Fifteenth Anniversary of the James Renwick Alliance and the Twenty-fifth Anniversary of the Renwick Gallery
Mediums
Mediums Description
glazed porcelain
Classifications
Object Number
1997.109.18
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1997.109.18

Artwork Description

Elsa Rady transformed her bowls into sculptures. Inspired by modern dance, she carved elegant shapes into the rim, invoking twirling, lifting movement. The grass-green matte glaze imbues the form with a sense of softness, even restraint.


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Elsa Rady often spends hours carving the rims of her pieces. She includes notches in the rim to reduce the likelihood that the thin walls will crack during firing, but also to add detail to her beautifully spare, unadorned pieces. The curved notches in the rim of Porcelain Bowl with Green Glaze suggest circular movement. An art collector once suggested that this design was inspired by Rady's mother, a member of the Martha Graham Dance Company, which was known for choreography that incorporated long, flowing skirts.