A teapot with the detailing of a realistic looking heart with chain links wrapped tightly around the heart is called “Heart Teapot: Petrol Hostage,” and it is one of many teapots in the Yixing Series by American ceramist, Richard Notkin, in 2013 (Pentilla, 2014). Notkin’s ceramic heart teapot is a relatively small teapot (6.5” x 11.25” x 5.75”) made from stoneware with a matte glaze that appears to have a rusted color that covers the entire teapot. The abstract teapot was designed to look like a heart with the heart’s vessels forming the handle, lid, and the spout of the teapot. Notkin added realistic detailing to the “Heart Teapot: Petrol Hostage” piece by adding what appears to be carving on the heart with a fine tool to make the teapot’s body resemble a human heart with distinct lines and grooves that provide the heart’s texture. In contrast to
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The rusty colored glaze that encompasses the entire teapot helped in unifying all the aspects, such as the heart and the chains, into a harmonious piece. Additionally, the base of the lid had the same texture as the body which helped in creating a harmonious flow between the two pieces. However, to add some contrast to the overall teapot, Notkin added distinct lines and grooves onto the body to create texture while also making the attached handle and spout smooth out from the body until the end of each piece where distinct lines are craved into the coils to resemble gas nozzles. The transition from a textured body to a smooth surface for the handle and spout, then back to distinct lines on both the handle and spout helped in creating movement and variety within the heart teapot. All the elements and principles helped in creating a teapot that resembled a heart with the abstracted additions of chains and gas
The rusty colored glaze that encompasses the entire teapot helped in unifying all the aspects, such as the heart and the chains, into a harmonious piece. Additionally, the base of the lid had the same texture as the body which helped in creating a harmonious flow between the two pieces. However, to add some contrast to the overall teapot, Notkin added distinct lines and grooves onto the body to create texture while also making the attached handle and spout smooth out from the body until the end of each piece where distinct lines are craved into the coils to resemble gas nozzles. The transition from a textured body to a smooth surface for the handle and spout, then back to distinct lines on both the handle and spout helped in creating movement and variety within the heart teapot. All the elements and principles helped in creating a teapot that resembled a heart with the abstracted additions of chains and gas