This work was made from grogged white earthenware and fired to 1140ºC, patches of gold leaf were later applied. In a letter dated September 1991 the artist wrote that ‘Vesselis intended to be a decorative play upon pots. It dates from 1991 when I was making work which took the idea of vessel far away from a useable pot. The piece, even so, still uses elements which identify it as belonging to the vessel family. It has a joke lid which is immoveable and what could be thought of as a handle at the side which is joined to the main body by a grille of thin clay bars. The three holes on one side near the base of the piece are a play upon the ability to contain. In fact the vessel wouldn’t leak if it were filled with liquid. It is, however, obviously too large to be lifted easily, or to be used. I had been on a trip to Korea where I had seen lots of blue and white ceramics. This vessel alludes to this influence in its decoration, a large part of which is white glaze with cobalt blues.’