Lake Michigan Sand Dune Kurinuki Vase

Lake Michigan Sand Dune Kurinuki Vase

I spend a lot of time walking along Lake Michigan and looking closely at the changes in the shoreline. I notice the lines left by water, the movement of sand and the ledges that form along the dunes.

Those sand dune ledges became the starting point for this vase.

The piece was created using Kurinuki, a Japanese handbuilding technique that begins with a solid block of clay. I hollowed the interior and then carved clay away from the exterior, allowing the form to emerge as I worked.

Rather than smoothing away the evidence of that process, I left the cuts, edges and irregular planes. For me, they recall the places where wind and shifting sand have carved into the dunes.

The glaze settles differently across those surfaces, emphasizing some edges while allowing others to disappear. The result is a small sculptural vessel that changes as you move around it.

Use it with a few simple branches or flowers, or let it stand on its own as a sculptural object on a dining table, console or shelf.

Details

• Handmade ceramic vase
• Kurinuki handbuilding technique
• One of a kind
• Water safe
• Approximately 3″ × 3″ × 9″
• Handmade by Cyndi Casemier in Grand Haven, Michigan