Nan Emmett Ceremonial Spirit Rattle with Gold Impression View Watchlist >
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Lot # K457
System ID # 25116129
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Nan Emmett Ceremonial Spirit Rattle with Gold Impression
This handcrafted Ceremonial Spirit Rattle by Nan Emmett displays the artist’s distinctive sculptural vocabulary, combining a softly modeled face with a rounded, hand-formed body finished in a dark, smoke-fired surface. Emmett’s signature gilt impression—a textured square of gold and warm ochre pigment—adds a radiant visual highlight and serves as a recognizable mark within her spirit-rattle series. This example’s intimate scale and expressive facial details capture the contemplative tone that makes her work appealing to collectors of contemporary studio ceramics.
This piece embodies the quiet, meditative quality associated with Emmett’s rattles, which are appreciated both as sculptural objects and as symbolic forms with gentle internal resonance. A striking addition to shelves, display cases or curated ceramic collections.
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Nan Emmett is an American studio ceramicist best known for her hand-built “Spirit Rattles” and “Deva” face sculptures—small, hollow forms that incorporate subtle human facial features and internal beads that create a soft rattle. Her artistic path began when an elective ceramics course shifted her focus away from painting, leading to a lifelong engagement with clay. Emmett works in earthenware, stoneware and raku-influenced smoke firing, favoring organic forms and expressive surfaces.
Examples of her spirit rattles date to the 1980s, often featuring dark, smoke-washed finishes and occasional metallic accents such as gold-leaf impressions. Though biographical documentation is limited, her work has established a niche collector market, with comparable pieces achieving strong prices in online auctions.
CONDITION
In very good condition with minor surface marks and tonal variations inherent to smoke-fired ceramic work. The gilt impression shows natural irregularities from the artist’s hand-applied technique. No chips, cracks or repairs are visible. Please review all photographs for details.
DIMENSIONS
4" × 3" × 2 1/2"
Weight: 3.8 oz
Please Note: Soup for Scale in Photo
