Rabbits hotsell in Biblical Stories: John the Baptist

This ceramic vase is part of a whimsical series called "Rabbits in Biblical Stories—“John the Baptist,” one of the most remembered stories in the Bible.

This vase is a double-narrative. That is, one narrative appears on the outside of the vase, while the internal narrative often conveys a significant scene in the classical text. The outside narrative often sets up the context of the inner narrative or vice versa, both playing off each other to create an interesting and intriguing way to look at these anthropomorphic renderings.

In this piece entitled John the Baptist, the man who baptized Jesus, the outside narrative represents the presentation of John the Baptist's head by the servant on a platter to Salome. On Herod's birthday, Salome, his stepdaughter, danced before the king and his guests. Herod was so pleased with her dancing that he promised her anything. After talking it over with her mother, Salome requested the head of John the Baptist. Although Herod was appalled at this request, he nonetheless granted it and John the Baptist was beheaded. The internal narrative hotsell is John the Baptist in the act of baptizing.

The vase is wheel-thrown with hand-sculpted rabbits as Salome, the servant and John the Baptist. The vase is in three pieces: the cylinder, the lid (with the head of John the Baptist), and a dome which covers the head. The narrative is based on famous paintings of John the Baptist. The vase is soda fired to cone 6, with colored underglazes, and spearmint liner glaze. It is approximately 14" x 7" x 7".