Lillian Pitt Native American Raku Pottery "Stick Spirit" Mask

Lillian Pitt Native American pottery Stick Spirit mask. Raku pottery with suede fringe and feather. Signed at back and dated 1985. Measures 14" x 8.5" x 4.5".

As found on Lillian Pitt site: Clay masks were my first works of art, and I still create clay masks today. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to get my hands working in clay.

I’m a “Native American” artist, but I love the idea of working in contemporary media. I work in many different types of media, but as for the type of clay I work in, I work with raku, anagama, and porcelain.

I feel totally at one with the story I want to tell when I develop a clay mask or sculpture. And I can actually feel the emotions of the pieces when I work on them. I feel the conflicts, the joys, the sorrows and the awe — all of these feelings can come out when I create clay masks or sculptures. They each take on their own unique identity, and I get attached to each and every piece.

I don’t create as many clay masks and sculptures as I used to, because I’m older now, and working in clay is very hard work. So many of the masks I make today are what I call “mini” masks. Sometimes I make them so that people can wear them as jewelry, other times I make them so people can hang them in groups on their walls.

—Lillian Pitt

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