Saggar Fired Clay by Imogen Taylor-Noble

I was very happy to visit the Earth and Fire Event at Rufford Abbey this weekend. There was such an exciting, diverse selection of works by a talented group of artists and makers.

I am thrilled to have brought this wonderful piece home to show in the garden. It is called Wind Tower and is by Imogen Taylor-Noble. It is fired in a Saggar which is essentially a clay box inside a kiln. Imogen places her work into this box and then stuffs it with seaweed and oyster shells which cause a chemical reaction when fired to high temperatures. The result is both interesting and stunning.
These Small bowls are made from various clays. Their surfaces are the result of a chemical reaction due to the combination of heat, clay components, salty seaweed and shells, rather like our landscape in places.