Niels Hansen Jacobsen (1861–1941)
Jar, undated
Glazed stoneware
H: 13.5 cm
Inventory number MK 9
Niels Hansen Jacobsen’s extensive ceramic oeuvre comprises small sculptures, masks, and – especially – utilitarian stoneware items such as dishes, jars, vases and bowls, all made in richly varied designs and glazes. The five works now found in The David Collection belong to the latter category. In all likelihood C.L. David acquired them from the Copenhagen exhibition venue Den frie Udstilling, where Niels Hansen Jacobsen regularly and faithfully exhibited until his death in 1941.
Niels Hansen Jacobsen appears to have thrown this jar on a wheel. Following this, he went on to manipulate the form so that it no longer appears stringent and clear, becoming uneven and varied in its expression. It is as if the jar has been compressed from above, forming transverse belts that protrude and go inwards, creating vibrant contours in seemingly vivid motion. A particularly eye-catching feature is the narrowed and profiled lip, where the manipulations of the potter’s hand are clearly visible. The expressive glaze, flowing in hues of blue, brown and yellow, reinforces and completes the idiom, which is so distinctive and characteristic of Niels Hansen Jacobsen.
Niels Hansen Jacobsen appears to have thrown this jar on a wheel. Following this, he went on to manipulate the form so that it no longer appears stringent and clear, becoming uneven and varied in its expression. It is as if the jar has been compressed from above, forming transverse belts that protrude and go inwards, creating vibrant contours in seemingly vivid motion. A particularly eye-catching feature is the narrowed and profiled lip, where the manipulations of the potter’s hand are clearly visible. The expressive glaze, flowing in hues of blue, brown and yellow, reinforces and completes the idiom, which is so distinctive and characteristic of Niels Hansen Jacobsen.
