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This functional teapot is hand-built of stoneware clay. Seahorses are press molded and carved. Anchor carved from dry greenware clay. Wooden planking carved into the ship's hull.
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Construction sequence: Fired to cone 06. Seahorses hand-painted with underglazes in Argyle pattern. Matte gold glaze applied for chains, anchor, boat and back of sails. Refired to cone 6. Opalescent overglaze applied. Final firing to cone 017.
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Size: 14.5" x 16.0" x 7.0".
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Date: 2006.
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Cited by Houston Potters Guild 2006. Cited by Niche Magazine 2007. Featured in The Sun Journal 2006. Cited in Tea for Texas Magazine 2006.
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Shown at The Inspired Hand III Exhibition.
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Niche Awards Winner for Teapots 2007.
Enlarged Views
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Creative Process
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This piece is an advanced development in the evolution of my seahorse series, which began with the application of seahorse images onto the outer surface of a teabag (notably, in Teahorse Seabag) and a bowl with a large seahorse head painted onto its surface (Seahorse Bowl). It then mutated into a teapot constructed entirely from the body of a seahorse (Tipping Teahorse) and, most recently, into this more elaborate design.
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The body represents a Viking ship embellished with chains and decorative anchor. The ship is designed with prominent faux planking. It is surmounted by two seahorses, glazed in leopard skin pattern (actually, a real pattern seen among seahorse species), whose tails form the bow (which serves as the teapot's spout) and the stern. The head of one of the seahorses, facing aft, doubles as the teapot's lid. The sails are quilted and glazed in an Argyle pattern to add interest and humor to the piece.
Detailed Views
