Anasazi Raven and Pot
Artist
Morris, William
(American, born 1957)
Date1999
OriginUnited States of America
MediumBlown glass
Dimensions17 × 20 × 10 in. (43.2 × 50.8 × 25.4 cm)
ClassificationsGlass
Credit LineGift of Carolyn K. and Richard F. Barry III
Object number2017.100
Label TextWilliam Morris (American, born 1957)
Anasazi Raven and Pot
Blown glass, tooled, applied, acid-etched, 1999
Gift of Carolyn K. and Richard F. Barry III
© William Morris
William Morris is one of the most gifted sculptors working with blown glass. His keen interest in the natural environment and ancient cultures translates into masterfully executed, imagined artefacts. In this work, he references the ancient pueblo culture of the Anasazi, early inhabitants of the American South-West. Raven is a magical creature in Anasazi myths, a keeper of secrets and a trickster. Morris captures the raven’s skittish perch on the pot with calculated minimalism of form. The surface of both creature and vessel are treated with a scavo (Italian: dug up) technique, creating a reaction of salts and mineral oxides applied to the hot surface that gives the work an appearance of weathered age. Irregular engraved lines, scattered across the surface, emulate the fissures and cracks of ancient pottery.
Status
Not on view
