Abstract Style Crutchfield Art Pottery Lidded Bow

This round lidded bowl of heavy stoneware clay was created by potter William H. Crutchfield (1944-). He studied ceramics at UC Berkeley, class of 1970. When he made this piece, in the late 1970's or early 1980's, he was living in Watsonville, CA. Crutchfield's CV, which he apparently wrote in the late 1980s, is found online at The Marks Project website. It states that "I sometimes paint on selected pieces with acrylic lacquer in an abstract style." Crutchfield currently lives in Arizona, in a building he renovated for his studio, home and gallery. We've included a photo of him at his wheel.

The spectacular lid on this large piece has a geometric incised abstract design, somewhat reminiscent of a Piet Mondrian painting. Done in yellow, lavender, grey, olive green, white and shades of blue, each raised form is outlined in black. The top of the lid is slightly domed and there is an inner rim that makes the lid fit snugly and securely on the bowl. Ombré bands of cobalt blue and cream circle around the bowl. The dry bottom of the bowl is marked with his handwritten signature "Crutchfield."

The bowl with lid weighs a sturdy 5 3/4 pounds, stands 3 1/2 inches high and is approximately 10 inches across the lid. It is in pristine condition, with no discernible wear. The bowl has crazing, while the lid does not. This is a great piece of art pottery by a superbly talented ceramic artist.

PLEASE NOTE that the white spots are due to reflections from our lighting on the high gloss glaze.

>>>In "The Marks Project" listing, there is a stoneware wall plate by Crutchfield with a similar inlaid pattern. The date given is 1978 and it is in The Forrest L. Merrill Collection, Dane Cloutier Archives. Merrill’s collection, based in Berkeley, CA, is one of the largest and most important of its kind in the world, containing pieces from major artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.

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