Wood-fired Vase with Ash Glaze, by George Gledhill

Wood-fired Vase with Ash Glaze, by George Gledhill; Payette, Idaho. Iga-style vase with attached nobs on sides (mimi-tsuki). H. 6.375"(16cm) X Dia. 3.75"(9.5cm).  Weight 530 grams. There have been several influences to George Gledhill's ceramic work. Buddhism has been a guiding force in his life for many years, and George even visits local prisons to teach the Dharma to inmates. Through pottery and Buddhism, he was exposed to Tea practitioners who complimented his work and encouraged him to produce Tea wares. Their introduction to the world of Tea Ceremony has helped to shape much of his recent work. In the past, George served in the Peace Corps in Bolivia, working with local potters and using only materials available locally. They dug all of the clay, made the bricks, built the kilns, and formulated glazes from whatever materials they could find. The only firing fuel was wood. This experience led to a great respect for the results of working with unprocessed materials, and especially