DERVISH

I am not sure exactly when I started making these dervish jars, at least back to CT, they are based on moving images of "whirling dervish" that I saw in movies as a teen, probably about the French Foreign Legion or Chinese Gordon from the movie KHARTOUM. Making the form and keeping the top from collapsing or warping was a challenge at first but I have long since worked out the problems of making them and have fashioned them in stoneware, terra cotta and even the odd one in porcelain now and again. This particular jar was thrown out of terra cotta, black slipped, carved in the "grasses" pattern and then later fired with a clear glaze and the knob of the lid is thrown/tooled to resemble a spindle on a spinning top to try to tie the pieces together. I am not sure what the largest of these jar measured, perhaps 18" across but this one was about 14" or so when fired and the foot a bit broarder than most. Though they are less stable with a smaller foot, the contrast and taper makes for a rather dramatic appearance and makes the piece seem like it is in dramatic motion, whirl on.