Marilú ‘Pelusa’ Rosenthal Terracotta Flask, 2001

A hand-built terracotta flask by Chilean ceramicist Marilú ‘Pelusa’ Rosenthal, signed and dated 2001.

Made from warm red clay scattered with tiny mineral flecks, the flattened body is worked on both sides with wonderfully loose reliefs of birds, animals and foliage. A small handle and pinched pouring lip keep one foot in the world of functional pottery, although it feels considerably more like a piece of folk sculpture.

Rosenthal has spent much of her career exploring clay, landscape and the materials that connect the two. She worked at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado between 1998 and 2004, placing this piece right in the middle of that period, and later became a significant figure in contemporary Chilean ceramics through her own practice, teaching and Centro de Arte Curaumilla.

Twenty-five years old, slightly prehistoric-looking, and made by someone who knows an awful lot about mud.

Condition: Excellent

Size: W 19cm × D 12cm