Posts from the ‘Australia’ Category

Aug 15

Rhonda Boehm Blossom Vase 1991

A recent find – a lovely, large stoneware blossom vase by Barossa Valley potter Rhonda Boehm, dated 1991.

This piece is typical of the style Rhonda became well known for – a carved sgraffito design of leaves and floral elements and a beautifully balanced thrown form.

The clay used was a whitish stoneware, to which Rhonda applied first a mushroom pink slip or oxide wash, followed by a blue grey slip.

The design was then carved trhough the blue grey slip to reveal the mushroom pink beneath.

Jul 24

Ilja Chapoff – More Works

I was so pleased to hear from readers Alan & Val who were able to provide some more snippets of information about, and some images of pieces they have by Ilja Chapoff.

Ilja was a WWII refugee to Australia, and worked as a potter painter and sculptor in until the 1980s mainly in New South Wales (see my previous post here)

Alan and Val met Ilja when they ran a small art gallery where they sold some of his work. The gallery was next to their printing business in Narwee 1974/1975.

During this period Ilja was living in the Narwee/Riverwood area. They recall him being a quiet and gentle man, who before he migrated to Australia had taught and practised as an artist in Europe (possibly Prague) for many years, but had to flee with nothing when he came to Australia.

They purchased some of his work at that time, and kindly sent me some photographs of it.

You will also see below another example of Ilja’s work sent to me by Sandra Read more

Mar 7

Rhonda Boehm, Early Piece

I discovered this striking large piece by South Australian Potter Rhonda Boehm recently. It is signed Rhonda Longbottom (her married name, used early in career) indicating it was made in the early to mid 1970s when she had just begun her career as a potter in the Barossa Valley.

It is a substantial piece around 25cm tall x 15cm diameter. Inside it is glazed with a glossy black glaze, and the outside has been iron oxide decorated to accentuate the impressed design. The iron oxide would have been applied to the bisque fire pot, then wiped back, leaving it in the deeper parts creating this effect which was a prevalent look of Australian pottery in the 1970s into the 1980s. The large ridges down the outside appear to have been impressed with a thumb mark while the clay was still wet.