Vase

Hans Coper

c. 1963

A compact stoneware vase in which Hans Coper transforms a utilitarian vessel into a sculptural study of stacked, truncated bowl forms balanced on a narrow pedestal.

You first notice its rough, dark, almost volcanic surface and the surprising gap where the upper bowl appears to float above the lower, creating a spare, geometric silhouette that reads as both vessel and abstract totem.

It exemplifies Coper’s role in postwar studio ceramics, shifting pottery toward modernist sculpture by emphasizing pared-down, archetypal forms and the tactile possibilities of fired clay.

Palette

Art Terms

Abstraction Form Modern art Sculpture Design Monochrome

Exhibitions

Recent Acquisitions, 1946–1953: Department of Architecture and Design

1953

Good Design: 5th Anniversary

1955

20th Century Design from the Museum Collection

1958

100 Useful Objects of Fine Design (available under $100)

1947