Ceramic Tableware For Everyday Utility
Ceramic Tableware For Everyday Utility
Theses
3-23-1995
Recommended Citation
Delyannis, Pamela, "Ceramic tableware for everyday utility" (1995). Thesis. Rochester Institute of
Technology. Accessed from
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ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
By
Pamela V. Delyannis
Pamela Delyannis
321 Bovee Rd.
Churchville, NY 14428
Date: AAM(f"2 3, rg q r
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction.
Philosophy. 2
Process.
Description of Work. 13
Exhibition 14
Final Critique-Luncheon 17
Conclusion 18
Technical Information 20
List of Plates 25
Reference List 32
INTRODUCTION
The challenge of this project was to develop a personal style that achieved the
criteria set forth in my thesis statement. It was my intention to make forms that
expressed aesthetic qualities of vitality and beauty, with physical durability and
stoneware with earth-toned reduction glazes. Additional serving pieces and tableware
with other glaze combinations were displayed on pedestals within the same area. The
consisted of traditional Greek cuisine. The purpose of this type of critique was to
demonstrate that the work was functional and complemented the food served.
PHILOSOPHY
The decision to make a dinner set for my thesis project marks my full-circle
ceramics began with the desire to make pottery on the wheel. While this interest
from making pottery for their B.F.A. projects because the B.F.A. committee did not
consider this type of work suitable. Pottery was not being seriously explored by any
students in my class. This was probably because the trend of the 1 980's was to make
clay "ART". This became apparent to me not only in college, but in the ceramic
magazines as well. It is obvious that this trend has created a shortage of college
Professor Hirsch called "Ceramics of the 1990's". Renowned utilitarian potters were
difficult to find, while vessel makers and sculptors of a high caliber were numerous. I
noticed this also with my ceramic classmates at R.I.T. There was little serious interest
in pottery making. It was difficult to talk about pots during critiques, and I, too, had little
understanding of the issues and language of this type of work. When I visited craft
shows, I was usually disappointed in the quality and lack of imagination displayed in
resource for my ideals. In essence, working on this thesis project has revealed how
much I have been influenced by the ceramics of ancient China, Korea, and Japan, and
especially the Japanese potter Shoji Hamada. In addition, the modern ceramics
movement in the United States, specifically the Alfred school, has had great impact on
my style and approach to working. Additional influences have been the work of
American potters Karen Karnes and Otto and Vivika Heino. The common thread that
links my influences together is that each artist has used high-fired glaze stoneware as
Chinese Ceramics. The qualities of the work from this period which I find most exciting
is the interaction between the quiet, simple forms and the lush, seductive glazed
surfaces. These two aspects describe a harmony between the form and the surface.
The ware in general possesses powerful presence because the pieces are devoid of
unnecessary details; they have been pared down to include only the most basic
elements. The characteristics of the Song Dynasty Ware are diametrically opposed to
Korean ceramics from the Koryu period, which corresponds to the Song
Dynasty in China, possess some beautiful examples in pottery. Many are typically
carved or impressed with intricate floral designs. "A celadon glaze was used to
enhance
1959, 20) Even with a high level of refinement, Koryu Ware is visually more earthy in
nature than the Song Dynasty examples. They also possess a physical weightiness
which adds to their overall hearty character. Remarkably, similar work is still being
produced today.
Japan also has a long ceramic history. For me, it is the work of the twentieth
century potter Shoji Hamada that exemplifies the best in Japanese ceramics. Visually,
Hamada's forms are delicate but confident. The most exciting aspect is how the
glazes bring the pieces to life. His use of traditional glazes and brush work are
applied simply, but demonstrate forceful elegance. It is the interaction of this glaze
application that I find to be the most exciting quality. Hamada believed in the simple
life traditional craftsmen. His that
"honest"
characteristically Japanese in style. His association with Bernard Leach has had a
philosophy of the Alfred School. Charles Binns, the founder of the Alfred movement,
was a true pioneer of American Ceramics. He was strongly influenced by the ideals of
Chinese ceramics, and he believed the "the simple forms of Ch'ing Dynasty Ware, the
depth and character of glaze, and the attention to craftsmanship had enormous
work an stoneware
in the early 1900's. This was truly a new approach from the concept of the guild
tradition, which shared the responsibilities of the production of pottery. This notion that
My personal influences are from my first experiences working with clay. The
1970's was a time when high-fired stoneware was at the height of its popularity. My
first ceramics teacher, Mikhail Zakin, taught at a small crafts school in New Jersey.
She was closely associated with Karen Karnes. I met Karen on several occasions and
was in awe of her. I quickly learned to respect her work and her pioneer spirit. She
The work of Otto and Vivika Heino later inspired me to really explore the depth
and variety of stoneware glazes. I first was exposed to their work at an exhibition in
the mid 1 980's. There were many fine examples of stoneware vessels that used a
combination of traditional stoneware glazes. This was also the first time that I had
seen examples of the brilliant iron red glaze that I chose to use for my thesis dinner
set.
The pursuit of making simple, direct work, void of unnecessary details, that are
classic in form, has remained my main orientation. While Karen Karnes has been
principally interested in form, and considered glaze as secondary, I, on the other hand,
came to love the complexity and beauty of reduction-fired stoneware glazes. The color
development, depth of surface, and uncertainty of fired results has kept my interest. I
am always
thinking about what I will do in the next firing experiment. The durability
and physical strength of reduction-fired stoneware is undeniable. Daniel Rhodes, in
his book Stoneware and Porcelain, refers to this type of ware; "This close relationship
between body and glaze, both in substance and appearance, which characterizes
high-fired ware, gives a feeling of unity, lightness, and suitability about the surface that
is difficult to achieve in earthenware (Rhodes, 74). In addition, firing this type of ware
involves active participation from beginning to end. Tending to the firing, interpreting
the amount of back pressure and reduction in the kiln makes me feel more a part of the
The reason why I chose to use established glaze recipes for this project was
because in using them, my work became a subtle part of their long-standing , culturally
rich tradition. Although the glazes were used to suit my needs and desires, they still
Making utilitarian ware has come quite naturally to me. This is because of my
hand-made objects, especially those intended for use in the kitchen. Creating a warm
These are the reasons that have motivated me to work in this vein. The desire
to make work that is cohesive, concise, and well-crafted was my intention from the
onset. In addition, I felt a sense of carrying along the pottery tradition, and to hopefully
motivate others to pursue an interest in functional ware. Becoming a student at
"School for American Crafts"
has been important to me. Known for its historical
precedence, the school has a reputation for excellence. It has been a place where
fine craft work is taken seriously. It was my hope that my finished project would in fact
The process of developing this dinner set began with making the clay; two
hundred pounds of buff stoneware. It was important to let it age for a couple of weeks
so that it would be workable. During this time I finished the thesis proposal and began
to think about what would characterize an indomitable spirit in the work. On the onset
this meant strong, earthy forms that possessed a presence and a physical durability
through exploring rounded forms with rich earth-toned glazed surfaces.
I began by improving the pottery shapes that I had made previously to create
forms that make a strong stylistic statement. The notion of formulating utilitarian ware
to fit a concept was a totally new experience for me. For the first time, I was thinking
about function in a serious manner. There was an entire language of formal analysis
The making process began with choosing one form, the bowl, and then
developing the character of the set around it. The first bowls I make were very round
with thick lips. They had prominent throw rings, and they were all medium in size. I
mixed up several glaze tests and applied them to small test bowls. The medium size
bowls were glazed with stoneware glazes I had already mixed up and had used for
other firings. I initially thought that an iron red glaze would be the most appropriate
choice for the set, but the red color was difficult to achieve. Also I did not want to limit
my options to other glaze color choices. Testing glazes from the many sheets of
This first series of work was loaded into the twelve foot downdraft kiln and then
fired. Unfortunately, the results were disappointing. Although I had simplified the
design elements of the ware, they were too quiet and ordinary. The iron red glazes
were too dark (brown) and muddy. Some of the glaze tests did show promise, such as
an oatmeal tan glaze with a mottled surface. During the first class critique I showed
this work, and it was clear that it was far from reaching my intentions. But the
conversations of the students and teachers did confirm that the qualities I had hoped to
The next body of work became more defined. In thinking about the possible
ways to change the shape of the bowl, the idea of adding a rim became a promising
direction. The addition of a rim would form the edge, and also added the opportunity
to apply a contrasting glaze color. I thought that the rim also added tension and a
sense of strength to the bowl. The shape of the bowls were becoming less round and
I then began working on the other components of the set, plates, cups, and
saucers. The proportions and size of the pieces began to take issue. It remained
important that the pieces in the place settings be functional for many situations. I
wanted the plates to be substantial. They would be deep and somewhat bowl shaped,
so that they would be able to comfortably contain the food. I began to weigh out the
clay specifically for the plates, cups, and bowls. They were measured with a ruler
from the wet stage, then at the final fired state in order to keep the set consistent.
During this time, I had an important discussion with Professor Pamela Blum.
She expressed the idea that the individual pieces in each group of forms be viewed as
families of forms. For example: each cup was quite similar, but not exactly the same
as the other. This was intuitively how I thought pottery work should be, but she put it
into words. This view has been expressed by other potters as well. Michael Cardew
states, "People have been looking for that element of LIFE in things they use-
can't
8
Each personhas to know his own limit. If some potters get
real pleasure in making twelve dozen, if they can keep their
souls alive and their interest fresh by making that kind of
volume, than that's all right for them. That is not, however,
my I have to deal with each piece on the
way. wheel as
Acquiring the ability to make pots that all look exactly alike might be considered a skill
insight to know when to step back and approach each piece of clay as individual,
This second firing was done in the sixteen foot updraft Alpine kiln. I chose this
kiln to work with because it was the largest kiln available to do high fire reduction in. It
also could be used to do bisque firings. Previously, I had much experience and
success in firing these types of kilns, so I felt comfortable with the special challenges
that they present in firing. There were successes and failures in this firing. The top of
the kiln reduced more than the bottom, and while this is typical for an updraft kiln, the
results were too contrasted because the iron reds were both red and brown in this
firing. The main problem with the firing was that the kiln fired too quickly. I realized
that I needed to lengthen the time between when cone eight and cone nine went
down. One of the problems with the glazes were that they had pinholes. Either the
glaze did not have enough time to "heal over", or the pinholes could be a result of too
much reduction. I believe that it was not having enough time in the top temperatures
because this problem occurred in both the lightly and heavily reduced ware.
During the critique for this kiln load, Professor Richard Hirsch and I compared
the results. There was definite improvement on the whole. We discussed some issues
on form, colors, and ways of viewing the work. One thought that became very
enlightening was expressed by Bernard Leach, "The ends of lines are important; the
middles take care of
themselves"
had never realized this, but indeed, it is true. The suggestion was made that it would
be advantageous if I came up with more than one glaze combination that expressed
This next series of work became more defined. The design elements were that
the forms were rounded, yet angular. The plates and bowls had a medium sized rim,
and the cup a turned out rim and pulled handles. The plates and bowls had a spiral
design in the clay that worked its way from the center outwards and faded to rings to
the rim. The reason for the spiral was to add a decorative element to the work that
would not interfere both visually or functionally with the presence of food.
I went through making the bowls, plates, and cups for the next firing. Although I
continued to do several glaze tests, not many of them showed promise. It was mostly
my old stand-by glazes that took an active part in the decisions that I made. I did find a
cream glaze that had a beautiful surface, called 'Shaner Butter'. It was a safe bet. The
oatmeal glaze test that I had previously tested did not come out the same ever again.
One other glaze that I battled with was a green matte glaze that sometimes has a
crystalline appearance.
This next firing was better because I had decided to turn the kiln shelves so that
they were laying from front to back rather than side by side. I thought that the shelves
needed this positioning to create better circulation inside the kiln, since the dampers
were positioned in the same direction. Firing the kiln remained a constant battle.
The critique of this body of work was right before the holiday break. I had some
definite decisions to make because I knew that it was time to decide what colors the
main set of tableware would be. Although the Shaner Butter glaze was dependable, I
felt that the iron red glaze, 'Ohata Kakki', was more appropriate in expressing this
10
notion of indomitable spirit. To me, the red represents blood, earth, and life. Still, I was
getting a variety of shades in this glaze from the kiln, but I wanted to take a chance with
it. The next problem that I had to deal with was application of the contrasting glaze
my
color. The way that I was applying the color was sloppy, and fired the same way.
Professor Robert Schmitz said that he would show me a way to apply the glaze so that
it would have a clean, neat line. This would be a demonstration when we came back
Professor Schmitz showed me how to apply my contrasting glaze color to the rim by
securing the bisqued and partially glazed piece on my trimming bat. Then, using a
baby ear syringe and a glaze-filled brush, I applied the glaze and squeezed the
syringe as the wheel spun. This had a marvelous effect, creating a clearly defined
area of glaze.
I had so much fired pottery at this point, that I decided to give most of it away to
allow more room for me to work. I stacked it on a table in the studio, and let my fellow
classmates take what they wanted. What was so positive about this was that they used
the plates, bowls, and cups. It was from them that I got the best feed-back on how the
work functioned.
By this time, I had established a work rhythm. I always made my clay at least
two weeks ahead of time. When I began making the work, the first week was
concerned with throwing and trimming the ware. I began with the smallest form, the
cup, and worked my way to the larger pieces, plates and serving pieces. For the place
settings, I generally worked in a series of eight to twelve. The second week I bisqued
and mixed the glazes. The third week I glazed and then fired. The fourth week I
assessed the finished work and made decisions on how to approach the next body of
work.
11
With each kiln load, there was improvement. The attitude became that each
One month before the thesis project was due to go to exhibition, I began the
final stretch of the project. I made twenty place settings of ware. I did not want to take
any chances with possible breakage or poor firing results. I fired the basic red with
black rim in two kiln loads. I fired the other glaze combinations in the eight foot
downdraft kiln because these glazes, Shaner Butter with green glaze and a celadon
with shiny black, fired better with a heavy reduction, unlike the red which needed a
There was great concern about the variety of shades in the finished work with
the main set. The red went from a red to a rich brown, but I accepted the results, and
realized that the variety in shades made for an interesting appearance. The real
12
DESCRIPTION OF WORK
The finished work is characterized by a distinct style that evolved over the
course of the project. The forms can be generally described as rounded yet angular,
They are also trimmed to a crisp doughnut shape. The curves of the bodies are
accentuated by the indenting of the forms at the start of the rims. The rims are flat and
ear-shaped in profile. The lids are peaked and have a small thrown knob on top.
They fit down into the forms, resting on their flange. The individual pieces are medium
in height, except for the coffee pots, which are tall. The surfaces are smooth, except for
the inside areas which have a thrown, raised spiral design which radiates from the
The nature of the glazes are muted earth tones. The main set, glazed in iron
red with black accents, is a dramatic combination. Close up, the red surface is
speckled with orange and brown. The black glaze is shiny, and shows limited depth.
The other glaze combinations include a cream colored, semi-gloss glaze (Shaner
Butter) that reveals some iron spots from the clay. This glaze also pools slightly in the
recesses of the throw rings. The rims are glazed with two colors, a black semi-gloss
glaze with a matte rutile green glaze on top. In combination, these glazes produce a
with shiny black accents. The celadon on the buff clay produces a shiny grey-green
surface with iron speckles. The rims are glazed in the black, which produces a shiny
green ,
black to brown tenmoku surface. The last combination is a matte green to
shiny green glaze that shows crystal clusters in random places. The few pieces that
fired with good results were accented with a black semi-gloss glaze that produced a
reddish-brown surface.
rich,
13
EXHIBITION
From the beginning, it was my intention to exhibit the main dinner set , service
for four, within a traditional table setting. This would include place mats, glassware,
flatware, napkins, and a floral center piece. The reason for this type of setting was to
present the work in a manner in which it was intended. The remainder of work, which
would show serving pieces and other glaze combinations were later decided to be put
on the gallery's white pedestals. They were placed in the same general area of the
The decision to use my own dinning table was made because it was traditional
ambience began with finding appropriate place mats. I chose to use place mats
because they would suggest the notion of framing each place setting. They would
also keep the setting informal in nature. Professor Hirsch and I made several
shopping trips to local stores that sold table top accessories. I brought along a small
box of sample pieces in the glaze combination that I was using in my thesis work. After
searching through several stores, I decided on a set of place mats that were a multi
colored abstract design. They were in soft earth tones of greens, peach, brick red,
turquoise, and beige. The place mats were also substantial in their construction. It
surprised me that they went so well with the dishes because their colors were so
muted compared to the glazes that I was using. What this did, however, is dramatize
the red and black dishes of the main table setting. They would have been equally
appropriate for the other glaze combinations of work that was displayed on the
pedestals.
14
glasses. These wine glasses were a similar shape to the coffee cups that I made for
the set. The next biggest dilemma I faced was finding suitable flatware. I attempted to
borrow a set of hand-crafted stainless and ebony flatware from a local shop, but it
became too complicated of a matter to work out. While shopping, I did not find any
utensils with a simple floral motif. The problem with the flatware was to be more
For the floral arrangement, I went to Arena's, a very nice florist in Rochester. I
brought along a low, soft green basket that I thought would go along well with the set
up. The shop keeper helped me choose the appropriate flowers that were in moss
greens and orange-red tones. These flowers included lilies, anemones, freesias,
asparagus, ferns, and bare willow stems. The overall arrangement was to be low in
height, so that it would not overwhelm the table. I also asked them to make up a
smaller arrangement of these same flowers in a tall, thin, glass vase to be placed on
On the day that I began setting up, I was still concerned about all the elements
coming together. Betsy Merkett, the gallery director, was insightful in suggesting that I
use a black tablecloth underneath the table. She thought that it would help unify my
work with the other work in the gallery since the table was so different from the other
styles of work that were being exhibited in the gallery. I went and bought a large black
tablecloth to try her suggestion. Surprisingly, it worked very well. The effect that this
black tablecloth had was to transform the dishes from the everyday setting; they took
on a more elegant quality. That same day, Professor Max Lenderman from textiles,
came by to see what I was working on. He said that he had a set of flatware that would
be more appropriate than what I had. The next day he brought in an unusual set of
flatware, that was a perfect solution to the problem. The utensils were stainless steel
15
with black wooden handles, made in Mexico. The steel part was etched with designs
and the handle ends were shaped with falcon heads. Professor Lenderman also
brought in black napkin rings and two sets of black stemmed wine glasses. Then, as
The next order of business was to set up the other work on the pedestals. This
was a matter of arranging the place settings of alternate glaze combinations and the
16
FINAL CRITIQUE-LUNCHEON
The final critique for the thesis project included preparing a meal for my
committee and serving it at the table set in the gallery. I arranged a time (1 p.m.,
Tuesday, May 4, 1993) that was convenient for everyone involved. The gallery was
closed for a period of two hours so the meal would not be rushed.
Two fellow graduate students, Jill Oberman and William Thompson, offered to
help serve the food. I prepared the food ahead of time at home, and brought it to
school. The cuisine that I chose to serve was Greek style Mesa dishes. The Greek
food reflected my personal taste and national heritage. The dishes that I chose were
Spanakopita (spinach pie in fillo dough), Mousakka (eggplant casserole), and Greek
Salad (garden vegetables, olives, feta cheese, and dressing). For dessert we had
Strawberry Shortcake (American) and coffee. It was my opinion that this type of meal
another graduate student to sit in; Holly Hoover. The meal was enjoyed by all. In the
progress of the meal, the plates, bowls, cups and saucers were put to the test. It was
the collective opinion of all that the ware was quite functional, and that the dishes did,
17
CONCLUSION
important opportunity to explore an area of ceramics that I love, but have long taken for
utilitarian ware.
To me, the pottery making process is much more than producing a finished
product. Indeed, I feel that it is a spiritual activity, and one that best expresses my
creative sensibilities. From the making of the clay to the final firing, it is an activity that
enables me to put myself into each step of the process. Opening up a glaze kiln is a
This in depth exploration has helped me to learn and understand the principles
of form and surface. It has also helped me to define what I wanted the work to say.
Essentially, the work is a statement about who I am; "an indomitable spirit".
The response that I received from my thesis exhibition was extremely positive
and encouraging. I know that much of my success was facilitated by hard work and
Once someone learns the basic skills of throwing, glazing, and firing, there then
This is essentially education. I believe that one of the most essential elements in art
education is art history. It makes sense that you need to know where others have been
to know where you can go. I came to this realization while working on this paper.
While I was familiar with the works of Daniel Rhodes, Val Cushing, and Robert Turner, I
was unaware of the vast impact that they have had on the ceramic traditions in
18
America.
ceramics students. Some colleges and university programs have even eliminated this
instruction from their curriculum. In light of these facts, it is important to remember that
the roots of modern ceramics lie in the history of the useful clay vessel.
The ability to make and fire clay storage vessels has had a revolutionary impact
on world wide cultural development. This was one of the very first technologies. It
allowed ancient people to safely store food. This in turn led to the further development
of agriculture; later to trade and commerce. Pottery has remained important to most
cultures. However, our culture today finds little need for hand-crafted utilitarian pottery.
Why then would one want to pursue this area of ceramics? One reason is that it is
important to preserve this craft because it has such an important history. There is the
notion that the potter becomes a part of this tradition. The past speaks to the maker,
Like the potter and history, pottery and food also share an important tradition
dinnerware has gained popularity among chefs and gourmets alike. The current trend
holds the belief that the preparation and presentation of food is an art form. Visual
appeal is equal to taste sensation. For now, the days of the stark white plate are gone.
Fine cuisine, coupled with unique dinnerware and table accessories, set a stage that
expresses a very personal statement. Dining becomes an art, in which the participants
These are the principles that have motivated me to develop this body of work.
Functionality has gone well beyond the fundamental aspects of usability. In turn, I
have gained a greater sense of purpose to my work. Through this experience, I have
19
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
BUFF STONFWARE CI AY AQ
GLAZES A9
20
SHANER BUTTER
M.G. GREEN
21
B-9 GREEN
CELADON
CLARK'S BLACK
Kona F-4
Soda Feldspar 22.2 grams
Whiting 6.0
EPK 3.5
Flint 18.5
Red Iron Oxide 4.0
Bentonite 1.5
22
TYPICAL A9 FIRING SCHEDULE (FOR THE 16ft3
ALPINE UPDRAFT KILN)
TEMP. (F)
TIME AIR GAS TOP / BOTTOM REMARKS
3"
overnight only pilots -dampers open
pressure
23
TYPICAL A9 FIRING SCHEDULE CONTINUED
TEMP. (F)
TIME AIR GAS TOP /BOTTOM REMARKS
-close
up dampers
24
LIST OF PLATES
25
Od
CO
**
1C
CD
REFERENCE LIST
Cardew, Michael. 1 978. "Why Make Pots in the Last Quarter of the Twentieth
Century?"
Studio Potter. Vol. 7, no. 1.
Leach, Bernard. 1940. A Potter's Book. London: Faber and Faber Limited.
Rhodes, Daniel. 1959. Stoneware and Porcelain: The Art of High Fired Pottery.
Radnor, Pennsylvania: Chiltan Book Company.
32