Dead Sea Scroll Pot

This jar was originally made for a good friend of mine, John Thompson, who is a Professor at Syracuse University. He is a marvelous illustrator and, while doing research for a book he was about to illustrate, he asked me about the pots for the Dead Sea Scrolls. As luck would have it, I had just seen the exhibition touring the U.S and had been astonished how very minimal -- undecorated and slender -- but apparently wood-fired the pots appeared. I could not say with certainty from the short time I had to view them but they seemed to have been created by potters who had priorities similar to my own -- athletic shape, well balanced and well proportioned. I felt an instant affinity and when John Thompson asked my help to create one for him to use as inspiration while drawing, I jumped at the opportunity. As a result there is a full line of pots (small, medium, tall and tallest).