Philippa James pottery jug with rare applied koala handle and…
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Philippa James pottery jug with rare applied koala handle and sgraffito hand-painted landscape scene, incised 'Philippa James', 7 cm high, 9 cm wide. A review of her solo exhibition at the Everyman library in south Yarra in September 1926 explained that 'The materials (except some of the colours) are obtained locally and the decorations are all Australian in type. The ti-tree and of course the eucalyptus lend themselves admirably to the purpose. A special feature of these examples is the beautiful finish given by the use of an inside glaze of a contrasting colour. Miss James manufactures some of her own glazes and frequently uses them in producing the 'Accidental' effects noted.' [op cit.]. The work of Melbourne born Philippa James (1893 - 1967) is very well represented in the Morgan collection. James was a student of Merric Boyd at Murrumbeena, from 1919 to 1924, and Boyd 'Had a strong influence over her stylistic development, which focussed on the representation of the gum tree and other Australian motifs in clay.' ['Australian Art Pottery 1900 - 1950' p.196].

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  • Sgraffito - In ceramics, sgraffito is a scratched or incised decoration through the slip, applied to the body of the object before glazing, to reveal the colour of the body underneath.
  • Incised - A record of a name, date or inscription, or a decoration scratched into a surface, usually of a glass or ceramic item with a blunt instrument to make a coarse indentation. Compare with engraving where the surface is cut with a sharp instrument such as a metal needle or rotating tool to achieve a fine indentation.

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