The New Vase I Purchased is Signed by an Unknown Potter

I found this great looking pottery vase at a second hand shop about a week ago or so. Take a good look at this beautiful piece.  This is a very well made piece of pottery having been wheel thrown into a very shapely form. I like this classic shape that makes this work so decorative as well as functional.  A sturdy thick walled vase that has an exceptionally attractive glaze both outside and on the interior. The exterior has a wonderful multi-color glaze that has a really complicated depth to it and the inside has a rich deep blue with very nicely done drip work. When I first saw this vase  I immediately could see it sitting in my home full of beautiful flowers from my garden. So I bought it for my personal pottery collection. 

The crafts person that made this piece did a great job. I have to say, up to a certain point.  Believe me I have much respect for the person that made this work and I do not mean any disrespect to this crafts person, but why in the world did they sign it with just a peculiar squiggle on the bottom?  Were they not proud of this piece?  Were they in a great hurry?  Or did they just not care?   Did they feel that they were so well known that anyone that saw this scribbled glyph would know who made this vessel?



This has been one of my biggest beefs about pottery for over thirty five years now.  I just hate it when I find a beautiful piece of pottery and I have to wonder who made it and where it was made.  This is such a shame. How can one make a piece this nice and not clearly sign their name to it?  A potter can produce thousands of pieces like this and end up an unknown potter. Pottery can survive for thousands of years. I know that this just sounds silly to many people, but it is far from silly. There is vast quantities of pottery out there that is over a thousand years old.  How sad it is to make pottery and have it last for a millennium and no one ever have a clue who created it. I always love to find pottery that has been clearly signed.  It is just a pleasure to be able to pick up a piece of pottery and look on the bottom and be able to factually know exactly who made the piece.  So if you create ceramic works of art PLEASE take a few minutes and add your signature and maybe even where it was made.  I guarantee that collectors will thank you for later down the road!

This is why every piece I make is clearly marked. I hand sign my works of ceramic art pottery and add the place where it was made and even counter stamp my name hidden usually in the design with my own original custom made micro stamp.

If anyone out there in the world wide ether has any idea as to who may have done this piece, please contact me. I would really love to know who made it!