Herb House Graffiti Pottery Bowl by Laurel MacDuffie – June 1920

This selection of limited edition one-of-a-kind large serving bowls are specially commissioned by us at Shaker Village as a fundraiser for our Herb House.

The handwriting has all been transcribed from the walls and sills of the Herb House writing that was done primarily by Brother Delmer Wilson and lovingly termed here as “Shaker Graffiti.” It documented statistics and calculations such as number of apples packed in a season, tare weights of barrels, and dates of sales.

Laurel beautifully captured and composed this writing on her rustic and hefty pottery, glazed and wood fired to perfection. Hand-stamped on the bottom, this is a wonderful commemorative functional sculpture that helps support the work we are doing to preserve Shaker history while also working to preserve and share this history.

This “June 1920″ bowl is a handled mixing bowl that measures approximately 5″ tall x 11″ (with handle) wide x just under 10” wide. The writing captures a very large piece of writing on the plaster wall, as you can see in the background of the photos and a detail shot.  It is a hefty weighty bowl that will be your very favorite mixing bowl, serving bowl, counter bowl, or more! Or simply keep it as a piece of art. This is Laurel’s favorite of the whole batch!

Laurel and her husband, potter David Orser, share a studio and kiln in Parsonfield, ME under the name Cedar Mountain Potters. Laurel holds an MA in Art Therapy from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. She’s been making art all her life, working specifically in clay since 1997. Learn more and purchase more of their beautiful work at cedarmountainpotters.com

More bowls are available in-person at our Visitors’ Center Store with a limited first run of 10 individual bowls. If you see one in the group photo you’d like more info on, please contact us for availability and photos.