Hand built stoneware, unsigned, a tall cylindrical vessel with dark glaze supports two applied ceramic shield form slabs, one shield of rectangular form with raised boss, the second shield of circular form with open crater revealing the interior of central cylinder.

21 in.

Gifted by the artist to Dick Wheeler in 1968. Mr. Wheeler was a studio assistant for Ruth Duckworth at the University of Chicago.

Born in Hamburg, German, Ruth Duckworth immigrated to England in 1936 following the rise of the Nazi party. While in England, she was introduced to the sculptors Henry Moore and Jacob Epstein. She began her sculptural work with lead, bronze, and wood, but fully embraced ceramics while studying with Dora Billington and other ceramicists at the Central School of Art & Crafts in London.

Duckworth accepted a one year teaching position at the University of Chicago in 1964. She stayed at the University until her retirement in 1977, remaining in Chicago until her passing in 2009.

A retrospective of her work was presented at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in 2006. Duckworth's sculptures are in numerous prominent public collections including the Art Institute of Chicago, IL The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA, and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.

Repaired break to rim; several old shallow chips to the base.

$500 - 700