Mugs & Small Side Plates, 22k Gold Snake

This series of mugs and small side dishes was made with a smooth red clay from California, reduction high fired with a cream glaze that "breaks" over the rim and handle to reveal the iron-rich red tones of the clay.  They they are fired for an additional third firing at a very low temperature with 22 karat gold images of snakes and plum blossoms.  

I created this series to honour of the wood snake year, crafted while listening to a recording of my teacher and friend Liu Ming's talk about the last time we had a year of the snake in 2013, year of the Water Snake.   Although there are differences between a water and a wood snake year, much of his talk is still relevant today.  (You can find that recording here + 2 offerings from some of Ming's students specifically for 2025 linked below)

  • Hand Wash Only (No Dishwasher)
  • No Microwave

More resources for learning about the Year of the Snake 
- Welcome to Year of the Wood Snake by Tamara Ja for Da Yuan Circle
- Snake Milk: A Mystical Elixir for Modern Times by Erin Langley