Tag Archives: fish pottery

Sea Creatures Clayart

 

Most of the main pottery companies have had flirtations with using various marine themed designs. The sleek, sinuous and diverse shapes of most aquatic animals make them an obvious choice for decorating   curvy pottery forms and the multitude of intense colours in the sea world are well suited to the rich glazing palettes. I have included some examples from Moorcroft, Martin Brothers, Haeger, Royal Doulton, Hornsea, Bornholm, Zsolnay and other fine works from individual ceramicists.

Ancient Octopus pottery - National Archaeological Museum in Athens

 

Sea creatures were widely represented in the decoration of pottery during the Minoan Civilization ( Crete ), which dates back to 7000BC. The octopus motif became popular around 2700BC to 1500BC and was later adopted by the Mycenaeans. Use of the octopus motif was so widespread that it has been speculated it was an object of worship or mystical significance. The “marine style” developed to include pottery which were covered with fish, octopuses, dolphins, starfish and crabs. The Minoans were organised as a seafaring nation, and it is possible their preference of decoration was an expression of reverence to the sea, which offered protection (navy), wealth (commerce) and food (fish). Such vases and jars were made by trained craftsmen and were prized throughout the Levant ( Eastern Mediterranean ), Egypt, Geece and Northern Africa.

Early Japanese societies and other East Asian cultures used pottery before developing agriculture, and seafood was a dietary mainstay, so it’s no surprise that marine life decoration also appeared on their pottery wares. Early Christians attached special significance to the symbol of the fish and they became associated with specific Christian rituals, including the thanksgiving meal (eucharist) and baptism, and pottery fish decorations were popular in the countries of Christendom. French majolica Palissy wares, developed by Bernard Palissy in the 1500’s, then rediscovered in the 19th century, also represents another ceramic era where aquatic animals were prominently featured in its rustique style.

Red figure fish plate ca.-340–330B.CItalian Red figure fish plate ca.-340–330B.C

 

 

Ming Dynasty JiaJing Reign Red&Green Coloring Porcelain Vine Pot

 

A Ming Dynasty JiaJing Reign Porcelain Wine Pot

 

 

 

 

Mid Century-Italian Pottery Vase Abstract Fish Carved Design by Pleasant Valley

 

Italian Pottery Vase Abstract Fish Carved Design by Pleasant Valley

 

 

 

 

Natalya Sots fish motif dish

 

Natalya Sots fish motif dish

 

 

 

 

Natalie Ul’yanova Clay Fish

 

Natalie Ul’yanova Clay Fish

 

 

 

 

 

Modernist-Art-Glass-Vase-Hand-Decorated-with-Fish

 

Goldfish design art glass vase

( Uniques and Antiques , USA )

 

 

 

 

Moorcroft Pottery-Octopus vase

 

Moorcroft Pottery Octopus vase

 

 

 

 

 

Lenci Art Deco figurine depicting an aquatic scene with a mermaid and merchild 1935

 

Lenci Art Deco figurine of an aquatic scene with a mermaid and merchild

1935

 

 

 

 

Egyptian-Nile-Perch-1390-1336-B.C.E

 

A ceramic Egyptian “bolti ”  ( Nile perch ) whose breeding habits attracted the Egyptians’ attention. After the female perch lays her eggs, the fish draws them into her mouth, where they stay until they hatch and the young emerge. The Egyptians saw this as a kind of spontaneous generation and thus took the perch as a symbol of resurrection and rebirth. The figure is hollow and contains several clay pellets, representing the eggs, which when shaken served as a rattle,

( brooklynmuseum.org )

 

 

 

 

IMG_1907

 6th grade fish figure from teacher Joyce Vogels’s art class

( Pinterest )

 

 

Katherine Hackl Sgraffitto Pottery

 

Katherine Hackl sgraffitto stingray, octopus and fish vessel

 

 

 

 

Koi pond vesse l- Kate & Will Jacobson

 

Raku Koi pond vessel – Kate & Will Jacobson

Hawaii

 

 

 

 

Lambayeque-blackware-vessel

A Lambayeque blackware vessel from Peru. Both sides depict Naymlap (their most important diety) in the form of an ocean wave, delivering a bountiful harvest of fish.

700 AD – 1350 AD

(  http://ancientartifax.com/ )

 

 

 

 

Large Royal Haeger Tropical Fish Bowl late 40-s---Flickr--

 

Large Royal Haeger Tropical Fish Bowl late 40’s

( Flickr–Haegernerd )

 

 

 

Tanya Casteel Coral Pink Octopus

 

Tanya Casteel Coral Pink Octopus

 

 

 

Egyptian,-Fish-Amulet,-around-1391-1335-BCE

 Egyptian Faience Fish Amulet, around 1391-1335 BCE

( RISD Museum )

 

 

 

 

Drakesbrook Antiques and Collectables Martin Brothers Grotesque style fiish sculpture made by Burslem Pottery

 

 Martin Brothers Grotesque style fish sculpture made by Burslem Pottery

( Drakesbrook Antiques and Collectables )

 

 

 

Artgirl56-Etsy fish vase

 Hand thrown stoneware vase with fish design drawn by hand with black slip (liquid clay)

Artgirl56, Wisconsin -Etsy

 

Curtis Benzle Softly as in a Dream ceramic bowl

 

 Softly as in a Dream ceramic bowl – Curtis Benzle

 

 

 

 

Ceramic seahorse wall decoration

 

Ceramic seahorse wall decoration

1950 – 1955

( wunderkammershop.de )

 

 

 

 

Ceramics by Anna Lambert

 

Ceramics vase by Anna Lambert

 

 

 

 

Ceramic Baby Seal Sculpture Anderson Ceramics

 

Baby Seal Sculpture – Anderson Ceramics

 

 

 

 

Bronze Fish,-1930 Hostler Burrows

 

Art Deco Bronze Fish sculpture – Hostler Burrows

1930

 

 

 

 

French-Palissy-ware-figure-of-a-St.Pierre-fish.-Thomas-Sergent.-French.-Circa-1870

 

French Palissy ware figure of a St.Pierre fish. Thomas Sergent. French. Circa 1870.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blue fish vase Paul Bendzunas

 

Blue fish vase – Paul Bendzunas

 

 

 

 

 

Vintage Majolica sun fish

 

Vintage Majolica sun fish

 

 

 

 

Wine-Jar-with-Fish-and-Aquatic-Plants

 

Wine Jar with Fish and Aquatic Plants

 

Brooklyn Museum’s  wine jar is widely considered a masterpiece of underglaze cobalt blue and white porcelain for the deep color of its decoration, its strong contours, and the  fit of the design of fish and water plants to its form.

14th century Yuan Dynasty, China

( The William E. Hutchins Collection )

 

 

 

 

Fishing scene mosaic from North Africa

 

Fishing scene wall  mosaic from North Africa 

 

 

 

 

French Majolica Fish Form Sectional Dishes

 

Two French Majolica Fish Form Sectional Dishes, 20th c, probably by Vallauris.

( Crescent City Auction Gallery – New Orleans )

 

 

 

 

Appert Frères Carp Vase_-_Walters

 

 Eugène Rousseau “Japonisme” Carp Vase designed for Appert Frères, Clichy

1878-1884

( The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore )

 

 

 

 

Martin Brothers grotesque ware fish decorative vase

 

Martin Brothers grotesque ware fish design vase

 

 

 

 

Antique French Art Deco Pottery Geometric Fish Flambe Vase

 

Antique French Art Deco Pottery geometric fish motif vase

 

 

 

 

Vintage Mid Century Hornsea Pottery - John Clappison

 

Vintage Mid Century Hornsea Pottery fish bowl  – John Clappison

 

 

 

 

Vintage Ken Edwards Folk Art Hexagonal Fish Dish

 

Vintage Ken Edwards Folk Art Hexagonal Fish Dish

 

 

 

 

 

Samsung Miyagi sake pot

 

Samsung Miyagi sake pot

 

 

 

Vintage Blue MountainPottery Angel Fish

 

Vintage Blue Mountain Pottery Angel Fish, Canada

 

 

 

 

Vintage Bing Grondahl Crackle Glaze-Swimming Fish Vase

 

Vintage Bing Grondahl Crackle Glaze Swimming Fish Vase

 

 

 

 

Tiffany Scull Studiopottery.co.uk---2013

 

Tiffany Scull

Studiopottery.co.uk—2013

 

 

 

 

Stylized Whale Table sculpture

 

Stylized Whale Table sculpture

 

 

 

 

 

Sylvan Bongard fish sculpture Portugal

 

Sylvan Bongard fish sculpture, Portugal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Bornholm ceramic fisherman figure Starkeld.com

 

 Bornholm ceramic fisherman figure

Starkeld.com

 

 

 

 

Small Royal Worcester Majolica Fish Compote

 

Small Royal Worcester Majolica Fish Compote

 

 

 

 

Ceramic art nouveau vase with- ridescent finish depicting Sigfard and the mermaids

 

Sigfard and the mermaids – Zsolnay ceramic art nouveau vase with iridescent finish

 

 

 

 

 

Samsung Miyagi

 

Samsung Miyagi vase with crab motif, Japan

 

 

 

 

Royal Dalton Sung vase

 

Royal Dalton Sung vase

 

 

 

 

Roger Cockram fish jar

 

Roger Cockram lidded jar with fish decorations

 

 

 

 

Vintage ceramic carp

 

50’s  ceramic carp

( wunderkammershop.de )

 

 

 

Polia Pillin-(PolishAmerican,-1909-1992)-Vase Los-Angeles,-mid-20th-century at Skinner Auctions

 

Polia Pillin

(PolishAmerican,-1909-1992)

( Skinner )

 

 

 

 

Majolica-Palissy-fish-plate-http-madelena-com

 

Palissy French Majolica–fish plate

 

 

 

 

 

Lalique--Formose--Art-Deco-fish-vase-white-and-opalescent-glass…---French---Glass---Carter-s-Price-Guides-to-Antiques-and-Collectables

 

Rene Lalique–Formose Art Deco fish vase