Item Specifics
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Brand / Artist | Cathra-Anne Barker |
| Origin | Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA |
| Year Manufactured | 2005 |
| Material | High-Fired Reduction Stoneware / Ceramic |
| Production Style | Studio Art Pottery / Contemporary Southwest |
| Technique | Hand-thrown, Freehand Sgraffito & Wax-Resist Glaze |
| Backstamp | Incised artist signature and date (Barker 05) |
| Color | Polychrome (Red, Green, Ochre, Cream, Navy Blue) |
| Pattern | Interlocking Geometric Swirls & Waves |
| Object Type | Wide-Shoulder Ovoid Vase / Urn |
| Dimensions | Approx. 8.25" Tall x 8.0" Wide (at widest point) |
Detailed Item Description
Description:
Up for sale is a stunning, highly collectible piece of contemporary American studio art pottery handcrafted by renowned ceramic artist Cathra-Anne Barker at her Santa Fe studio in 2005.
This beautiful, wide-shouldered ovoid vase features a masterful display of Barker’s signature polychrome glaze techniques. The body is intricately decorated freehand with rolling, interlocking spiral wave motifs deeply rooted in modern Southwestern and organic design languages. The texture is incredibly rich, combining incised lines (sgraffito) with multi-layered, earthy jewel tones including terracota red, deep forest green, navy blue, and rich ochre on a burnished clay ground.
The underside features the artist's authentic incised signature and date profile (Barker 05) directly carved into the unglazed stoneware foot.
Condition:
Excellent vintage studio condition with no chips, cracks, or restorations. The colors remain exceptionally vibrant and the glaze retains its original satin-to-gloss luster. Please review all photos as they serve as part of the visual condition description.
Artist Biography & Context
About the Artist: Cathra-Anne Barker (b. Harlingen, Texas)
Cathra-Anne Barker has been a celebrated, full-time studio potter since 1969. Originally a classical painter and illustrator, she transitioned to ceramics to break away from the flat limitations of canvas, choosing instead to use her brushes and palettes directly on clay surfaces.
From 1972 to 1996, she served as the Master Potter and owner of the acclaimed Sunstone Gallery in La Jolla, California. In 1996, she relocated to New Mexico to co-found the Barker-Meyer Ceramic Art Studios in Santa Fe, where this specific 2005 piece was made.
- The Process: Barker rejects commercial mass-production; every single piece is uniquely thrown, trimmed, and decorated by her hands alone. Her highly recognizable style relies on mixing her own boutique glazes from scratch. She freehands her designs directly onto burnished bisque using wax-resist boundaries mixed with delicate polychrome glaze washes before subjecting the vessels to high-fired reduction stoneware kiln cycles.
- Prestigious Pedigree: Barker's masterworks are highly coveted by elite pottery collectors globally and are represented in major institutional corporate collections (including Delta Airlines and U.S. Bancorp) as well as the private home collections of legendary icons like Julia Child and actress Talia Shire.
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