Herbert Harvey Sanders

American
(1909–1988)

Jar
circa 1960

Porcelain
4.5 x 6 x 6 in.
Gift of the Nora Eccles Treadwell Foundation
1984.7

Herbert Sanders was known for his use of crystalline glazes, and this Jar is an exemplary piece of his signature style. The wheel-thrown porcelain vessel possesses a volume that belies its size, with the belly stretched to its limits and then tapered to a very narrow mouth. The piece is glazed in a subtle translucent taupe, which allows the crystalline blooms to float across the surface. This combination produces a sense of weightlessness, as though the vessel might float up and away like a balloon in the breeze.

Sanders was born into the industrious pottery scene of New Waterford, Ohio, in 1909. He received a bachelor’s degree in education from Ohio State University in 1932, and went on to earn an MFA in 1933. While he was a graduate student, Sanders became the assistant of Arthur Eugene Baggs, who was a significant contributor to the development of American studio pottery in the early twentieth century. Sanders continued to teach ceramics at Ohio State University, as well as working with Edgar Littlefield and Carlton Atherton to broaden the scope of his ceramic knowledge. After serving in the military during World War Two, he returned to the US and became an instructor at, and in 1946 director of, the School for American Craftsmen at Alfred University, New York. In 1948 Sanders used the GI Bill to become the first American to receive a PhD in ceramics, and spent the remainder of his career educating aspiring young potters and developing the crystalline glazes in which he specialized.

Ayla Murray

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This object was included in the following exhibitions:

• Ceramic Case 1: Native Patterns (left) and Pots & Bowls (right) , 8/17/2012 - 5/7/2014
• Unearthed , 8/23/2022 - 5/14/2023

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