Cone 6
Clay Body:
Standard 112
White Underglaze
 
The Vucedol Dove is a bird-shaped vessel created by the Vucedol culture around 2600 BC.  The Vuchedol culture was a copper smelting civilization that settled near the Danube River in present day Croatia.  Although commonly called the Vucedol Dove, it is widely thought to actually symbolize a partridge.  The original sculpture is permanently displayed at the Archaeological Museum of Zegreb 19.5 cm (about 7.5 inches) tall and is made from baked clay.  It is believed to represent the Great Mother goddess and that it symbolizes peace and freedom.  Popularity of the Vucedol Dove made a resurgence during the Croatian War of Independence (1991-1995).  
 
Although the original Vucedol Dove is decorated with axes and straight lines, I chose to decorate mine with more current Croatian tattoos.  On the body, the sun wheel which represents power and the constant movement of life, a cross that represents Christianity, a snowflake that represents spiritual purity, and branches which symbolizes family, growth and endurance.  On the tail, is a pleter, which resembles an infinity symbol, embodies the concepts of eternity and continuity, and a representation of lacemaking, which is a traditional art in Croatia dating back to the Renaissance.
 
The original Vuchedol Dove was thought to be a drinking vessel. The challenge to this piece was to make the head and neck to resemble a spout on the top of the hollow body while also attaching legs to the bottom that would be stable.  The key was to attach the pieces at the proper level of dryness, so that the body had enough moisture to attach the legs, but not too much moisture that they would sink into the body.  I ended up drying it upside down in a tall bowl with a towel around the rim of the bowl.  That way the thicker legs and thinner head and beak could dry at the same rate.