Late 20th Century Dark & Light Purple High Gloss Leftwich Pottery Studio Vase

A Leftwich Pottery vase by Rodney Leftwich of Western North Carolina in a dark and light purple high gloss glaze finish with an abstract pattern encircling the vase. Mr. Leftwich has been working in pottery since 1976 and has an extensive resume. A beautiful, solid piece of studio pottery.

Exact date of creation unknown. Late 20th Century/ Early 21st Century.

Information on Rodney Leftwich from themarksproject Website –
“1946 Born St. Louis, Missouri

APPRENTICESHIPS AND RESIDENCIES –

1977-1978 worked with Burlon Craig, Vale, North Carolina

PRIMARY WORK EXPERIENCE –

1978-1992 Leftwich Pottery, Asheville, North Carolina

1990’s Pisgah Pottery with Thomas Case, Walter Stephen’s step-grandson

1992—Leftwich Folk and Art Pottery, Mills River, NC

BIOGRAPHY –

Rodney Leftwich is known for reviving forms and techniques of traditional western North Carolina pottery. Leftwich produces a range of forms including traditional utilitarian pieces, face jugs, and sculptures. His works are often intricately incised with Appalachian scenes. The incising led to carving and then to cutouts or reticulated designs on the decorative vase and lantern forms.

Leftwich’s glazes are prepared from wood ash, clay slips, crushed glass, and iron rock as done locally in the 1800s. Leftwich’s interest in traditions of western North Carolina potters began in the 1970s when he collected examples, studied their forms, glazes, methods of manufacture, and makers.

While working with Thomas Case at Pisgah Forest Pottery Leftwich helped revive the crystalline glazes and cameo techniques of Walter Stephen who had founded Pisgah Forest Pottery in 1926.

Public Collections –

Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina

Bibliography –

Caldwell, Benjamin Hubbard, Robert H. Hicks, Mark Scala. Art of Tennessee. Nashville, TN: First Center for the Visual Arts, 2003.

Hunter, Robert. Ceramics in America 2006. Fox Point, WI: Chipstone Foundation, 2006.

Perry, Barbara Stone. North Carolina Pottery: The Collection of the Mint Museum. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2004.”

Very good condition. Please see Condition Notes below.

Measurements:
– Height: approx. 8” inches
– Base Diameter: right over 2 1/4” inches round

Markings:
– Signed on base, “Leftwich Pottery”
– Vase is not dated

Condition:
– Very good, original condition
– No chips or cracks
– Spots of glaze imperfection from time of firing