Whether you’re a collector, designer, or simply an admirer of fine studio ceramics and pottery, developing an eye for the subtleties of form, glaze, and texture is essential. These three features are what turn a vessel from utilitarian to expressive; they record the maker’s intention, the material’s nature, and often the moment in which the work was crafted.
Studio & Contemporary Ceramics
Ceramics in Focus: How to Read Form, Glaze, and Texture
29 July 2025
Philip Smith
Form: Shape, Proportion, and Presence
The form of a ceramic piece is its structural foundation. Look for proportions, the dialogue between height, width, and depth, and assess how curves, edges, and planes relate. Is the silhouette modest or bold? Does it command space or slip subtly into surroundings?
For example, modern studio pottery often emphasises elegant, minimal lines: tapering necks, flared lips, or compressed bodies that reflect both restraint and precision.
Glaze: Colour, Sheen, and Surface Behaviour
Glaze goes beyond surface decoration; it reflects both the technical process and the maker’s vision. Notice colour tones (are they muted, saturated, or variegated?), the sheen (matte, glossy, semi-gloss), and how the glaze responds at edges: pooling in recesses, thinning over ridges, or cracking as crackle.
Glaze can also reveal the maker’s experimentation: layering glazes for depth, letting the kiln or wood-smoke leave marks, or allowing reactive glazes to run and blend. Often, what might seem like “imperfection” is deliberate - a fingerprint of the process rather than a flaw.
Texture: Tactility and Tool Marks
Texture connects us physically to how something was made. Is the surface smooth as porcelain, or rough and hand swept? Look for tool marks: thrown lines from a potter’s wheel, carving, impressing, or tooling. These tell you about the hand-work, the sequence of making, and often the speed or care taken.
Texture also interacts with glaze: a gloss glaze over ridged form throws shadows; a matte glaze over a pebbled clay absorbs light differently. When texture and glaze are well integrated, that is often when a piece has both visual and tactile appeal, something thriving in the Studio & Contemporary Ceramics sector.
Studio Ceramicists at Lyon & Turnbull
Designers & Makers
Lucie Rie
British 1902 - 1995
Designers & Makers
Magdalene Odundo
Kenyan 1950 -
Designers & Makers
John Ward
British 1938 -
Designers & Makers
Hans Coper
German 1920 - 1981
Why These Matter in the Auction Market
At Lyon & Turnbull, ceramics that combine strong form, refined glaze, and distinctive texture consistently attract attention in the saleroom. Collectors look for pieces where craftsmanship and individuality meet, and it is often the balance of these elements, rather than any single feature, that drives both appeal and value. When assessing works, our specialists consider not only the maker and provenance, but also how these qualities come together to define a piece’s character.
