This Wedding Vase is 6" tall and approximately 3 1/2" wide at the base.
Navajo Artist Ronald Smith Created this piece.
The Wedding Vase is an ancient vessel still used in traditional Native American wedding ceremonies. One spout of the vessel represents the husband; the other, the wife. The looped handle represents the unity achieved with marriage. The space created within the loop represents the couples' own circle of life.
Ronald Smith is a Navajo Potter residing in Farmington New Mexico. He comes from a long line of potters, having learned the technique from his mother, sisters and aunts. Horsehair pottery is created from the mane of the horse and the thicker lines are created from the tail of the horse. Each piece is created by first pouring ceramic white slip into a mold, then after drying, cleaning & polishing, the piece is heated in a kiln & the horsehair is randomly tossed on to the heated surface. The resulting carbon image of the hair is drawn into the pottery surface and creates the Wonderful designs and patterns found on horsehair ceramics. After cooling, each piece is carefully etched by hand. If stones or Turquoise are used, they are applied at this time. Finally, the piece is garnished to protect and preserve it. Each Horsehair creation requires great patience and meticulous attention to detail.