NEHMA | Collection

Christopher Staley

American, b. 1954

Teapot
1988

Porcelain
18 x 9 x 11 in.
Gift of the Nora Eccles Treadwell Foundation
1988.48

Chris Staley understands porcelain—its vulnerabilities and strengths—as stunningly demonstrated in his Teapot and Bowl. “The essence of making pots,” he has said, “is about being human. It’s about fragility and strength.” The brilliant aqua color in these pieces is the result of an unpredictable copper-iron glaze that he discovered while pursuing his master’s degree.

Staley has lived primarily in the eastern United States. He did his undergraduate studies in Springfield, Ohio, where he received a BFA in 1977. Staley attributes the foundation of his skills to his post-BFA year at the Kansas City Art Institute under Ken Ferguson’s supervision (see Ferguson’s 1968 Bottle) and to the ceramics program at Alfred University, New York, where he received his MFA in 1980. He has had a distinguished teaching career at Rhode Island School of Design, Wichita State University, and Pennsylvania State University, where he has taught since 1990.

Billie Sessions, PhD.

Keywords
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This object has the following keywords:

porcelain*, teapot, turquoise

porcelain - A material comprising white clay, or "kaolin," and a feldspathic rock, that react when fired so the clay serves to hold the shape of the object and the rock fuses into a natural glass. In China, it includes any such ware that is highly fired enough to produce a ringing sound when struck. In Europe, it is limited to hard-fired ceramic that is translucent.
teapot
turquoise