This teapot is an example of my practice of exploring drawing and marks on the surface of my pieces as a way of building or telling a story.
Its starting point is the Celtic myth of the Salmon of Knowledge: nine hazel trees grow around a sacred well, their hazelnuts fall into the water of the well, and the salmon that eat them become immensely wise. Whoever ate that salmon would come to know the Truth.
The image of the nine silent trees, slowly bearing their fruit, stayed with me. I made this teapot from that imagery, hoping with this piece to bring everyday life closer to a magical and symbolic world.
I imagine the tea served from this teapot as a moment when inner vision expands, and when whoever drinks it leaves with a lighter, more generous heart.
Stoneware teapot with a red iron oxide wash. Glazed.
