The Roman god Janus is depicted with two faces – one looking to the past and one to the future.  As namesake to the month of January, he represented time, duality, beginnings, endings, thresholds and was called on at times of transition.

Mella Shaw’s “Janus Forms” are ceramic objects that have one continuous surface but two equal and opposite sides.  They role, but not in a straight line.  They are a continuation of Mella’s background in anthropology, museums and the study of material culture.  They draw on her desire as a maker to capture a moment of precarious balance in a static object.  

These forms are made to be held as meditative objects that sit comfortably in the hand(s). The highly polished, smooth ceramic surfaces have a mysterious patina resulting from smoke-firing – the most ancient of ceramic processes – making them appear timeless and other-worldly.

 

Small 11cm diameter 

Medium 15cm diameter