porto novo/platinum tripod vase
platinum tripod vasea vase with a wheel-thrown egg-shaped body and three hand formed pylons as legs.
the clay used here has been dug by me in eastern austria, it is a grey-brown stoneware with iron ore inclusions.
over the glaze, which is made from reed ash, feldspar and various metallic oxides, a platinum overglaze has been applied.
the piece has been fired with the help of a support below the body and between the legs, to protect the shape from sagging or distorting
he showed up on a white motorbike, dressed in white. with an infectious laugh chose the shiny platinum vessel. it all took no more than 2 minutes, an easy sell.
his place was in the compound of a nearby church, one of a number of rooms off the church courtyard.
we were told that he lived there with his family, but somehow I didn´t buy that.
the bed looked like no-one had slept in it for a while, with clothes piled high on it, really high. disarray had engulfed the entire place to a degree that even a liberated imagination would not dare to venture. I think it was an extra apartment, but I may be wrong. an inquisitive novice priest joined the photo session and asked how much a similar piece would sell for in europe. when the information was given, a long silence followed and then the two took another very close look at the pot
