Mask
Artist
Toshiko Takaezu
American, 1922 – 2011
Date1958
Mediumstoneware
Dimensions26.7 x 26.7 x 25.4 cm
ClassificationsCeramics
Credit LineGift of Dr. Suzanne H. Arnold and Stoddard Acquistion Fund
Terms
Object number1999.315
Label TextTakaezu’s sculptural ceramics drew inspiration from the teapots, bowls, and vases used in
traditional Japanese tea ceremonies, but pushed
these forms far beyond their utilitarian function.
By restricting the mouths of her vessels to tiny
openings, she produced what she termed a
“closed form,” radically limiting the functionality
of the vessel and concealing (or masking, as the
title implies) its interior. This, in turn, forces us to
consider the vessel exclusively as a work of
art—part of a modernist impulse to break down
traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.ProvenanceToshiko Takaezu
On View
On viewCurrent Location
- Exhibition Location Gallery 4001
