Vessel and Stand #11
Richard Hirsch?s works are typically made using earthenware to which he adds talc and spodumene. The complex colors seen on his pieces are the result of the application of multiple layers of slips and glazes. A piece is often fired between the layers. Finally, each piece is finished in a raku firing, a technique Hirsch developed to create the surface patina seen on ancient ceramic wares.
Richard Hirsch?s work traces the evolution of the vessel through explorations of vessel forms from various cultural traditions. These range from ancient Chinese bronze tripod vessels to wares used in the the16th-century Japanese tea ceremony, to Pre-Columbian clay vessels and contemporary ceramics such as the modernist sculptures of Constantin Brancusi.
Beginning in the 1990s, Hirsch?s works became larger, incorporating multiple sections and forms including blades, mallets, and mortar and pestle. Hirsch also began to incorporate forged iron, glass, and other mixed-media elements in his stacked and arranged series of vessels during this period.
Other works by Hirsch
Hirsch in other collections
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Last updated: April 22, 2026
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