Annette Lindenberg 'River Diorite' sake set 31
Bottle Dimensions: W 15cm x H 13cm
Materials: Stoneware, porcelain and glaze
Method: Hand Sculpted, Kurinuki (the Japanese technique of hollowing solid clay)
Care: Functional, wipe dry after use
Description:
The beautiful sake set, inclusive of a bottle and two cups, is finely handcrafted by artist Anette Lindenberg using kurinuki, the traditional Japanese technique of carving from a single block of clay. The pieces are made with dark stoneware clay, porcelain and glaze. The dark rock-textured surface and unconventional shape of the asymmetric sake bottle emulates the natural rock form — a reminder of the resilient and powerful forces of nature. This monumentality is augmented by the association to the material from ancient Egyptian, suggesting timelessness and a sense of enigmatic mystery. Smooth porcelain streaks form a marble-pattern, lightly dancing across the surface of the bottle to counterbalance the monumentality of rock textured body with a sense of whimsical playfulness. The glistening, thin glaze retains this unique shape and texture, creating a ‘wet effect’ capturing the ephemeral movement of running water. The undulations across the rims of the two accompanying cups captures a roughness softened by the thin clay layer of the body, complementing the simple, finely sculpted asymmetrical form of the cup — the rounded belly and narrower base resembles an endearing and graceful tulip shape, comfortably curving into the palm.
The piece elegantly treads a balance between delicate softness and jagged roughness, reflecting the artist’s interest in natural geomorphic forms and influence from the Japanese aesthetic theory of wabi-sabi – an appreciation for beauty in imperfection. This combination results in a mesmerising rawness and warmth that is simultaneously intimate and subliminal. The unglazed bottom exhibits the original rough clay body, finished with the neat maker’s mark.
About the Artist:
Annette Lindenberg is a German/British ceramicist, originally from Austria, whose work focuses on Kurinuki, the Japanese method of hollowing and carving blocks of clay. Prior to her MA, Annette graduated from Cardiff Metropolitan University with a BA in Artist: Designer Maker. She has exhibited at the British Art Fair at Saatchi and the London Art Fair with the gallery Modern Clay.
Over her time at the Royal College of Art she has explored artistic glazing, experimenting with new formulations, unusual application techniques and methods of firing. Her range of tea bowls and cups explore her personal connection to the sea, an interest in geology and clay carving method.
