Sardar Gurcharan Singh (Indian, 1896-1995). Glazed pottery vessel, ca. 1980. An exquisite ceramic vessel by the legendary Gurcharan Singh who once stated, "Every once in a while I am in tune with clay, and I hear music. It's like poetry. Those are the moments that pottery is truly beautiful for me." Gurcharan's training in geology as well as his study of ceramics in Japan informed his oeuvre immensely. This wheel-thrown vessel presents an elegant, near-spherical form upon a short circular base that is enveloped in a glaze of milky white hues with hints of azure blue throughout, raw sienna running from the rim, and globular drips marking the lower edge of the glazed surface. Due to Singh's astute understanding of geology, he was a master at glazing stoneware in subtly beautiful shades. In addition, his admiration for Japanese and Korean ceramics shines bright in sophisticated forms like this example. Size: 8.375" in diameter x 6.625" H (21.3 cm x 16.8 cm)

According to the Delhi Blue Pottery Trust, "While Gurcharan Singh was best known for his production of Delhi Blue, which was a vivid blue pottery, he also experimented with other glazes such as eggshell white, grey and white and grey slipware, using contrast in textures to great effect. There was a great variety of white or off-white pieces with dripped patterns, glazed at the mouth in soft amber or raw sienna." This example is a very nice example of the aforementioned glaze technique.

Gurcharan Singh, founder of the Delhi Blue Art Pottery, is a tall, gray-bearded, Sikh gentleman, left North India in 1919 to study ceramics in Japan. He had earned a degree in geology the year prior, and also had an apprenticeship with a descendant of the Pathan Potters who had worked in North India for 500 years. In Japan, he studied ceramics at the polytechnic institute. His circle included Bernard Leach, Kenkichi Tomimoto, and Shoji Hamada. He also traveled to Korea and gained a strong appreciation for Korean potters' forms and techniques. In 1922, he had his first solo exhibition in Tokyo. Following this, he returned to his native India to lead the Government Pottery Institute in Lahore and Ambala for the next eight years. (Source: Carol Ridker "Delhi Blue Art Pottery" in Ceramic Monthly, March 1980)

Provenance: Private Virginia, USA collection, acquired directly from the artist in New Delhi in 1980

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#168845

Intact and superb. Four felt circles on the base to prevent scratching display surface. There is also a signature inscribed in the clay on the base and a single stable 1" fissure that formed when fired.