At least if your name is Icarus.
Today our raku pottery vase, ‘The Flight of Icarus’, tells the tale of the fabled flight of Icarus and serves as a cautionary tale for those who think they know better than their father. It also tells the tale of a foolish king and continuing on in the face of grief and the loss of a loved one. You can see more of our raku pottery vases here.
One day Daedulus a master craftsman and artist of some renown and power was commissioned by the King of Crete, Minos to build the labyrinth that would eventually house the Minatour. Not long after completing the labyrinth, his patron imprisoned Daedulus and his son Icarus. Minos, was obviously not the brightest leader in the world at the time. Imprisoning a genius in a maze of their own devising isn’t the smartest move. Remind you of any current world leaders?
Of course Daedulus was able to come up with a solution for him and his son to escape the labyrinth. He constructed wings! Move over Red Bull! Daedulus was giving people wings way before you!
See more images of our raku pottery vase ‘The Flight of Icarus’ here.
The wings he built for him and his son were made of wax and feathers and they worked like a charm. Daedulus warned his son Icarus not to fly to close to the sun, because the wax might melt.
While making their escape, Icarus was caught up in the excitement of flight. He ignored his father’s warning. As he got higher and higher the wax softened, and then melted. As the feathers fell one by one, so would Icarus, who crashed into the sea and was drowned. Perhaps Daedulus should have known better. Teenagers have a long history of not listening to their parents.
Maybe this is where the idea for the show ‘Father Knows Best’ comes from.
Grief stricken, Daedulus settled in Sicily and hung up his wings for good, lamenting with grief that his own creation was responsible for the death of his son by the sun.
What do you think of my latest raku pottery vase, ‘The Flight of Icarus’?
What makes the glaze so shiny?
The shiny glazes have basically formed a layer of glass that has fused with the clay pot and they contain silica.
Love the color!
Thank you so much for your very kind comment! I hope you are having a great day!
It’s beautiful! I’d display it it my home. 😎😍
Thank you so much John! I have not quite decided yet, but this may be one of those pieces that I do display in my home in the middle of the dining room table 😉 I hope you are having a wonderful week.
Thanks, a great week!
I’ve just been writing about Icarus! Great minds must think alike. Beautiful pottery as always.
That is a fun coincidence. I find Icarus and the stories of time gone by are endlessly fascinating! Thank you for your kind words and I hope you are having a wonderful week!
I love the reflective quality of the glaze with colors swirling underneath, your telling of the Icarus myth is lovely and matches the exquisite beauty of the vase.
Thank you so much Judy for your kind words. I am really excited to see the reaction of people to this piece at my art exhibit tomorrow. I hope you are well.
Beautiful vase, great name for it x
Thanks Christine! I hope you have been having a good week. We have a tropical storm passing us by, but grateful for that as the garden needs the rain.
Busy, got at least three exhibitions to get work ready for. X
That is fantastic! I am wishing you luck with all the work that goes into that and much success with your shows!
Thank you! I’m just hoping for a few sales or commissions x
Crossing my fingers for you! I am sure with your beautiful work that will happen!
Cheers
Beautiful vase and name! I’d love to have it my room
Thank you so much Luna! That is such a beautiful comment to read. I hope you are well and having a great week so far!
Beautiful vase and I enjoyed your retelling of Icarus. He Dad wasn’t that’s great of a genius. His son would have survived if they had just used the left hand rule of mazes. Wouldn’t have been such a great story though 😂
haha! I believe you are right on both counts! But of course that could have never happened. The Greeks were our first soap opera writers! I hope you are doing well! I thought of you when I was setting up at the gallery yesterday and putting up ‘Phoenix Reborn’ 😉
It’s …. wonderful !!!!
Thank you! I appreciate hearing that so much. I hope you are having a wonderful week!
Oh, it glows with copper and cerulean hues! It gives me the feeling that fall is on the way with the ground covered with copper leaves under a cerulean sky. I love the story behind your creation. Perfection, my friend.
Eugenia, your kind words make my heart lighter. I agree with you that this piece is very evocative of the Fall, which feels just around the corner here. I hope you are having an amazing week!
😉
You know I love your exquisite colors, and I’m enjoying the storytelling, mythology you share too!
Thank you! For me, the stories help bring more life to the pieces!
Truly they do!
Thanks for sharing
My pleasure! I hope you are having a wonderful week!
The finish is incredible! Out of curiosity did you polish the clay before tossing the pot into the flames? It’s so mirror like.
You are right! I did burnish this piece before the initial bisque firing. I have a few rocks that have been smoother by the sea that I use 😉
Beautiful! Flight of Icarus is my favourite anyway! Good job 🌸🌸
Thank you so much for your beautiful and kind comment! I hope you are having a beautiful day!
You’re welcome. My best wishes to you! Keep up the good work 🌺🌺
Beautiful and looks so smooth
Your choice of colors bring the Icarus myth to life. Brilliant choices.
Thank you for sharing your impression here Rolando and your kind words. You may be interested in this piece ‘The Flight of Icarus’ and associated raku vase story:
https://rakupottery.ca/2019/08/24/the-sun-will-kill-you/
I hope you are having a wonderful week so far!
Simply resurrecting!!
Beautifully constructed pieces. Anand Bose from Kerala
Thank you very much!
Beautifully made objet d’ art. Anand Bose from Kerala