Weathervane Teapot

Peter Shire, Weathervane Teapot, 1981, glazed ceramic and wood, overall: 12 ¹⁄₂ x 15 ³⁄₄ x 5 ¹⁄₂ in. (31.8 x 40.0 x 14.0 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, 1997.109.24A-B

Artwork Details

Title: Weathervane Teapot
Artist: Peter Shire
Date: 1981
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
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Luce Foundation Center
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4th Floor
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53B
Dimensions: overall: 12 ¹⁄₂ x 15 ³⁄₄ x 5 ¹⁄₂ in. (31.8 x 40.0 x 14.0 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: wood
ceramic
Mediums Description: glazed ceramic and wood
Classifications: Decorative Arts
Subjects: Abstract
Object Number: 1997.109.24A-B
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1997.109.24A-B

Artwork Description

Peter Shire's teapots are constructions of color and shapes built out of slabs of clay. Weathervane Teapot is a balancing act of three-dimensional squares and balls, with squiggly rods and hollow tubes. He hoped that his whimsical pots would break down traditional, class-conscious ideas about "tea-time," making it a practice accessible to all. This teapot asks to be picked up, but leaves us wondering where we should hold it to pour the tea, or if it is capable of pouring at all. Shire stopped making clay teapots in 1985, devoting his time thereafter to building furniture.