Stoneware Sake Bowl or Cup with Lavender and Green Glaze
MakerMade by
Edward Hughes
(1953 - 2006)
StudentTaught by
Ray Finch
(London, England, 1914 - 2012)
CollectorCollected by
Sandy Dunbar
(London, England, 1929 - 2012)
Date2003-2004
Object NameBowl
Mediumstoneware and ash glaze
ClassificationsCeramics
DimensionsOverall (Height x Diameter): 44 × 86mm
Base (Diameter): 40mm
Base (Diameter): 40mm
AcquisitionThe Sandy Dunbar Studio Ceramics Collection presented in 2023 by Crinan Dunbar and Rebecca Russell.
Copyright© the copyright holder
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDMS095708.112
About MeA stoneware bowl, or cup, for drinking sake. It is glazed both inside and out in ash glazes, achieving shades of lavender and mottled emerald green with a dark speckled centre.
Edward Hughes’ glazes were often based on locally sourced wood ash. When fired at a high temprature in a reduction kiln the glazes achieved rich mottled colours, reflecting the Cumbrian landscape where he lived and worked.
Hughes was also inspired by the work of Bernanrd Leach and the philosophy of pottery-making in Japan and China. He spent spent six months learning Japanese then 18 months studying ceramics at Kyoto City University of Arts, which led to his first one-man exhibtion. He decided to stay in Japan, setting up his own pottery where he combined high temperature reduction firing with traditional slip-ware decoration. Hughes returned to England in 1984, establishing a pottery studio in Penrith before moving to a larger space at Isel Hall near Cockermouth, Cumbria.
