Porcelain Mug with Tenmoku and Celadon Glazes
MakerMade by
Chris Keenan
(born 1960)
StudentTaught by
Edmund de Waal
(Nottingham, England, born 1964)
CollectorCollected by
Sandy Dunbar
(London, England, 1929 - 2012)
Date2001-2005
Object NameMug
MediumLimoges porcelain, tenmoku and celadon
ClassificationsCeramics
DimensionsOverall (Height x Width including Handle): 80 × 103mm
Rim (Diameter): 72mm
Base (Diameter): 70mm
Rim (Diameter): 72mm
Base (Diameter): 70mm
AcquisitionThe Sandy Dunbar Studio Ceramics Collection presented in 2023 by Crinan Dunbar and Rebecca Russell.
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDMS095708.223
About MeThis porcelain mug has a very slightly flared body, rolled rim and a plain loop handle. It is glazed outside in a dark treacle brown tenmoku glaze, with rust iron tenmoku highlighting the rim and and edges of the handle. The inside is glazed in a pale blue-green celadon glaze with a band of tenmoku around inner rim becoming mottled as it merges into the celadon.
Chris Keenan frequently works with a combination of celadon and tenmoku glazes to create contrast.
Tenmoku is a Japanese term for a type of glaze which is usually a lustrous black, or as in this example, a dark treacle-brown. Celadon is another type of glaze originating in the Far East. It is frequently found in shades of pale green, however colours can range from pale pearl blue to dark olive green depending on the quantity of iron oxide added to the glaze before it is fired.
