Jar in the Persian Style, white bird
Michael Simon American
Not on view
With its swollen body and peaked lid, this work is an excellent example of Simon’s "Persian jar" form (so called for the similarities to lidded jars from prehistoric Persia), and one that he created by stretching the corners and paddling the sides of a wheel thrown vessel, adding "foundations" or feet and a "roof-like" lid. The applied decoration of five distinct but similar birds—one on each panel and the lid—was created using a wax resist technique, belying the simplicity of the designs. The birds are delineated with brushes of white slip and iron oxide accents under a salt glaze. Simon’s work—functional, salt-glazed stoneware forms often embellished with expressive, organic designs—reflect the ethos of the Japanese mingei tradition, a philosophy espousing that beauty can be found in everyday, utilitarian objects.
