This vase was made by Ursula Morley Price, who is one of Europe's leading studio potters. Often inspired by Japanese paper decorations, her work is painstakingly slow to produce but has an instant visual appeal.
Her pots are characterised by delicate ribs or flanges which give the impression of movement, perhaps like the unfolding of a fan. These ribs have been likened to the folds that can be achieved using Japanese paper, or to the fine pleats that characterise textiles made by the fashion house of Mariano Fortuny in the early 20th century.
It’s difficult to see how these undulating forms can be achieved through the chosen medium, but each piece is built up from small coils of clay over a central hollow vessel which acts as an armature.
This painstaking assembly results in a finished piece which combines a pleasing sense of rhythm. The resulting colour palette, ranging from greys and cream through soft pinks to gentle brown is entirely appropriate to the organic form of the finished pots.
"…an instant visual appeal."
Ursula Morley Price was born in London and studied painting at the Camberwell School of Art but moved into working with ceramics after spending time in Cornwall at the studio of Bernard Leach. Her work is well known throughout Europe and the US and is represented in many public and private collections.
Did you know? The translucent appearance of the bottle vase is achieved by the use of matt glazes made from oak and chestnut ash.
