Medicine Flower, Grace – Basket Weave Plate with Carved Feathers (2000)
$ 3,800.00
Grace Medicine Flower remains renowned for her innovative and creative pottery. This is one of her dynamic “basket weave” pieces. She only made the basket-weave pieces for a few years before moving on to the polychrome pottery. The concept behind these pieces was for them to appear as if the clay had fallen away and there was a woven basket underneath. It is also one of her few plates. Half of the plate has carved “rows” of basket weaving. Each row is symmetrical, and they are etched with thin lines representing the weave of the basket. The red and black colorations for the design are from the clay. The center has a polished and etched medallion. The opposite half of the plate has carved feathers and deeply carved lightning and cloud geometrics that are polished red. There are etched designs in the red. Amazingly, the back of the plate is also fully carved! There are carved feathers and similar carved swirling clouds and geometrics. They are all slipped with mica. It is amazing that she could carve on the front AND the back of the piece without it breaking! All the etching on the front was done before it was fired. The plate was traditionally fired. Think about the amount of time it takes to finish just ONE piece with this much variety of carving and design. As well, all the work is done before the piece is fired. The plate is signed on the back, “Grace Medicine Flower”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.
Out of stock
Grace Medicine Flower remains renowned for her innovative and creative pottery. This is one of her dynamic “basket weave” pieces. She only made the basket-weave pieces for a few years before moving on to the polychrome pottery. The concept behind these pieces was for them to appear as if the clay had fallen away and there was a woven basket underneath. It is also one of her few plates. Half of the plate has carved “rows” of basket weaving. Each row is symmetrical, and they are etched with thin lines representing the weave of the basket. The red and black colorations for the design are from the clay. The center has a polished and etched medallion. The opposite half of the plate has carved feathers and deeply carved lightning and cloud geometrics that are polished red. There are etched designs in the red. Amazingly, the back of the plate is also fully carved! There are carved feathers and similar carved swirling clouds and geometrics. They are all slipped with mica. It is amazing that she could carve on the front AND the back of the piece without it breaking! All the etching on the front was done before it was fired. The plate was traditionally fired. Think about the amount of time it takes to finish just ONE piece with this much variety of carving and design. As well, all the work is done before the piece is fired. The plate is signed on the back, “Grace Medicine Flower”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.
Grace Medicine Flower