Ceramic Art and Perception--Cornucopia

Etsuko Tashima is a Japanese ceramic artist who incorporates glass into her work. She creates ornamental vessels that resemble the shape of a cornucopia, which is a symbol of plenty and abundance originating in classical antiquity and associated with the Roman goddess Abundantia. Tashima reinterprets what the cornucopia might look like by combining porcelain or stoneware with colored glass. Her forms are harmonious, yet arresting and are inspired by biomorphic and floral forms. The contrast between the translucent glass and solid ceramic is stunning and the glass draws the eye toward the inside of the object where the eye is only allowed to rest on the surface of the ceramic object.

Tashima belongs to the generation of influential women ceramists coming after Tsuboi Asuka, a leading feminist ceramic artist in Japan who sought to challenge the century old tradition by which women were relegated to subsidiary roles in pottery making. Tahima has played a huge role in widening the scope of expression for female artists in Japan. She states, "I want my works to energies people. That is my wish as I am engaged in creating. In creating I cleanse myself."