Funerary Urn à la Suess 

88" x 16" x 14”
79" x 12" x 13”
78" x 15" x 13"

Architectural clay, oxides, gouache, beeswax 

The three vessels are references to life- sized funerary urns I saw in several museums in Greece while doing my clay work on Samos Island. The original urns were used as grave markers. Usually they have stories inscribed in the round about the deceased. Some art historians say that holes were placed at the bottom of these ancient urns and libations were poured into them during a ritual for the deceased.

My three urns are called "Funerary Urns à la Suess." They are a mixture of ideas from my childhood memories and my travels to Greece. My favorite imaginary animals were from Dr. Suess books, and were tall with long necks like giraffes. The ancient funerary urns reminded me of the Dr. Suess characters.

Just like many childhood rhymes such as "Ring Around the Rosie" and "Rock a Bye Baby" my urns juxtaposed death with the merrymaking of childhood.

(See article in Studio Potters, January 2001, "Pennsylvania Potters”.