I wrote last summer about a pottery bowl that I believe was made by an old friend of my parents, Rachel Roth. You may remember that I found the bowl in my mom's yard, beneath one of her potted plants, and I cleaned it up and brought it back to London. (It has since served as a centerpiece at some of our dinner gatherings.)
On my most recent trip, I claimed two more pieces of Roth pottery -- these two mugs. They've been in my mom's kitchen cabinet as long as I can remember, and I often used the larger one (on the left) when I visited her. I love their peppery neutral finish. I told mom I didn't want her to discard them in her quest to purge her belongings, and she told me to take them.
So I brought them back to London and now they're sitting on the dining room windowsill, next to the bowl. (And next to two other bowls that I made myself -- one filled with Moroccan beach glass and shells from Madagascar -- and a Dogon sculpture I brought back from Mali.)
Ah, stuff. We can't help but collect it, can we?
Oh, and I saved the batik too.
How lucky for you to have a mother with such interesting pottery. Usually an object caught in the downsizing process deserves only one more trip - recycling at either the Salvation Army or the landfill.
ReplyDeleteAnd your handiwork certainly holds its own against the mugs and bowl you retrieved.
It's nice to find little treasures to bring home to glorify. Especially from your mother.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing things I've given my kids in their houses. Stuff they grew up with.
And you know what? I'm really glad you saved the rooster batik. Because, well. Rooster batik.
I have quite a collection of pottery mostly from one artist who is a friend and part of the art club I belong to. I should photograph all the pieces and put them on my blog some day. When I moved last October, I thought about thinning out the collection but found I couldn't part with any of them.
ReplyDeleteGood for you for saving these pieces and taking them with you.
The two tone bowl is lovely.......id love it
ReplyDeleteyep, my house is full of stuff. I try to resist. we are just like crows...ooo, shiny, I'll take that home.
ReplyDeletei am preparing to move,selling my townhouse and being free of "ownership"
ReplyDeletei am purging lots of stuff..so the kids have come in and ridden me of lots of "collectables"
it really is freeing to be with a very limited amount of household items.
new chapter of my life and loving it.
you took my cup!
ReplyDeleteOnce again your brother made me laugh :)
ReplyDeleteWe love pottery around here. Mike was in a pottery buying phase for a while, so there are random pieces all over the house.
As a side note, my grandmother once "dated" one of the people who made those crazy face jugs in the south. (http://arts.gov/honors/heritage/fellows/burlon-craig)
I love the rooster batik and the pottery...Your brother made me chuckle...if you ever grow tired of these things, you can send the cups to your brother and the rooster to Ms. Moon.
ReplyDeleteHi Stevereed our blog for a while. Have been looking at yThought it only polite to say hi being as I have come out of posting closet. Saw your visit to Mrs Moon where you became stevereed and have mentioned going to hell with you on Elizabeths cannabis post. So Hi Maggi x
ReplyDeleteSorry about typos Missed out have been reading your blog for a while. Actually I see it is all back to front. Am new to this
ReplyDeleteYou have an eye for pottery and a gift.
ReplyDeleteI think those are beautiful selections. They remind me of my old friend Moye's ceramics. And yours are gorgeous, too!
ReplyDeleteMarty: My handiwork is less polished than it appears from a distance. :)
ReplyDeleteMs Moon: I had a feeling you'd dig that rooster! I thought about giving it to you, but you mentioned trying to get rid of stuff too, so I just kept it. :)
Sharon: Pottery is hard to part with -- it ages so well. And when it's hand-made by someone you know, that makes it all the more precious. I'd love to see the pieces in your collection!
John: Thanks! I couldn't resist salvaging it from the yard! (Sorry -- "garden.")
Ellen: The collecting instinct!
Vivian: There IS a huge freedom that comes with purging. I've experienced it myself, though I seem to be collecting again. :/
Utah: It's always here for you when you need it! Better me than letting it go to Goodwill...
Bug: I've never heard of Burlon Craig, but that's a great story -- grinding clay with a mule. I need to look up some pictures of his work.
E: Exactly! :)
Maggi: Hello, and thanks for reading! No worries on the typos. I'm sure I make some myself.
Angella: I wish I had more of an eye for making pottery, as opposed to just buying or displaying it, but I do love it.
Elizabeth: Thanks. I remember you posting some of Moye's work. :)
Those are gorgeous Steve!
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