Back in Time: Ceramics in the PU Museum

Twice in one week I walked up to the campus art museum. The first time was so good, I had to go again.


First, each time, I have to look at the ceramics for sale in the museum shop - some very good ones are in there - artists from our area mostly.

Then I can go in. Donations are happily accepted, but you can walk on in without paying. There were Italian master drawings and woodblock prints by Munch in two new exhibits.                                                

one handled cup, Persian 10-9 century B.C.

Downstairs in the museum is the really old stuff and the Non-Western art from the permanent collection. The pre-columbian ceramics are favorites of mine. I have studied them on many occasions.

Cup with Animal Heads, South Italy, 600-550 B.C

This week though, I focused on the Mediterranean
lands and thereabouts drawing in my 4" by 6"

sketchbook with pen because I didn't want to get bogged down with erasing and perfectionism.

This animal head cup was one of the weirdest forms of the day. I only saw one unidentifiable antlered animal head though the label said "Heads."

Celadon ewer of lotus flower design, Korea,
Goryco Dynasty 1918 - 1392 A.D

So many forms and uses for clay, I learned some new ones. My favorite that I drew? The spotted hare oil bottle which is used for light, if I remember correctly. So petite, it was only about 6" long, It must have made a very small light, maybe in a child's room for a night light. Who knows?

And I also loved the spout and surface decoration on this very round pot made in Cyprus many, many years ago. It looks as though it could've been made today. Are good ceramics timeless? Yes, they would be.

Drawing is a worthwhile activity because with intense gazing, you discover the particularities of the object you are drawing, the relationships between parts, the integral balance and rightness of the thing, and in discovery comes appreciation and maybe even ideas (!) for your own work.

It was fun, too.