Karl Borgeson is known for wheel thrown or, occasionally, hand built, utilitarian stoneware and porcelain pottery. Borgeson develops fine line work on the surface of each piece using the mishima technique.The mishima surface motifs on his pieces include basket weave, checkerboard or parallel line patterns are influenced by African and Indonesian architecture, textiles, baskets and tribal masks.
Mishima is developed in the greenware stage, where leatherhard pots are coated with wax and incised with fine carving tools to develop a design. Later, colored slip or underglaze is applied to the incised line work. The excess slip or underglaze is then sponged off the waxed surface of the pot to reveal the intricately incised lines, usually black in Borgeson's work.
Upon glazing his work, Borgesoncastswood ash over glazed areas in the tacky state. In addition tothewood ashadded to the glazesurface, a small amount of salt is introduced into the kiln atmosphereduringfiring; encouraging salt glaze development onraw clay mishima-designedareas of each piece.Finished work typically incorporates graphically placed areas of glazed and unglazed surfaces.
"Other works by Borgeson
Borgeson in other collections
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Last updated: April 22, 2026
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