Petr Sklenicka
Tree Bark Teapot
Iron stoneware, glazed inside
Wood fired to 1300 degrees Celsius
4 X 3 X 5

I have been keen on pottery since the age of 9.
By the age of 11, my grandfather knew this interest is not going away and he helped me build my first primal wood kiln, which by the age of 14 become a proper 550l phoenix kiln.
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From the beginning, I was fascinated by the aesthetic and the process of wood firing.
At first, I engaged in hand building, and later on, I began working on the wheel.
Today I focus primarily on teaware as tea rituals have become a significant part of my life.
With wood firing, I can explore nature and its materials. The area where I live offers a wide variety of different materials. Many of these have different uses in my ceramics.
In addition to the local clays and glazes, I also use materials from small Czech manufacturers.
It still amazes me how many possibilities in ceramics there are – there will always be room to discover new forms, materials, technologies, and to improve the process.

This particular teapot is made from a mixture of a few stoneware clays I use, mostly rich in iron.
It is wheel-thrown and assembled at the leather-hard stage, then bisqued in the electric kiln.
After the first firing, the teapot is sanded, the lid is fitted and the teapot is glazed inside with ash-feldspar glaze.
The tree-bark surface is decorated with subtle ash deposits from the firing, which took place in the 250l phoenix-type wood kiln to 1300°C.
The knob is made of blackthorn wood I found in the hillside behind my house.