Gifts of Civilization Vessel by Raewyn Atkinson

Raewyn Atkinson (b 1955), Gifts of Civilization coil vessel red…
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Raewyn Atkinson (b 1955), Gifts of Civilization coil vessel red earthenware clay slip, scraffito, transfer print & oxide, signed & dated '03 to base with original paper label, 19 cm height, 44 cm length, 27 cm width. Provenance, purchased from Avid, Wellington, ?Gifts of Civilization? is the term used by Captain cook to describe the contact between Europeans and the native peoples his expeditions encountered. Hawai?ian history from the arrival of Captain James cook with his exchange rates and his sailor?s diseases, to the annexation of Hawaii by US businessmen, provides rich imagery for the vessels in this exhibition. This includes the influence of the Freemasons, the power of the U.S dollar, the promotion of Hawai?i as a tourist destination, the proliferation of white stretch limos, and photographs celebrating the ?melting pot? of races., this series was inspired during and following a month long residency at the University of Manoa, Hawai?i in 2002. The traditional Hawai?ian bowl, the poi vessel, used for food and religious ceremony, provided the, inspiration for the form.

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  • Earthenware - A basic ceramic material that is fired at a low temperature. Earthenware is the basis of almost all ancient, medieval, Middle Eastern and European painted ceramics. After firing, the colour is the colour of the clay when it is dug from the ground: buff, brown and red. It is not waterproof until glazed. Creamware is a type of earthenware covered with a transparent lead glaze. Majolica, faience and delft are also earthenware covered in an opaque white tin glaze.
  • Transfer Printed / Decorated Transferware - Transfer printing is method of decorating ceramics, reducing the cost of decoration when compared to employing artists to paint each piece. A print was taken on transfer-paper from an engraved copperplate, covered in ink prepared with metallic oxides, and the image on the paper was then applied to the biscuit-fired ceramic body. The print was fixed by heating the object in an oven, and then glazed, sealing the picture. Early transfer prints were blue and white, as cobalt was the only colour to stand firing without blurring. Early in the 19th century advances in the composition of the transfer paper resulted in better definition and detail, and enabled engravers to combine line-engraving with stipple.

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