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Private Phil Butler character jug - Ben Quilty 2014

Private Phil Butler character jug producd by Ben Quilty of New South Wales, Australia, in 2014. This character jug depicts an aspect of Private Phil Butler, an Australian Vietnam Veteran. Butler returned from the war suffering post-traumatic stress disorder, leaving his family to live on the streets. The disfigured looking face is expressively hewn, as if the clay has been pummelled and punctured into shape. Slip cast in austere white porcelain, the jug is finished with a gold lustre glaze around the rim that seems to evoke the practice of decorating returned servicemen with medals and insignia. This juxtaposition implies a contradiction between the exaltation of war heroes and the psychological trauma that remains from their experience.

Maker:

Ben Quilty

Australia

2014

Model #:

character jug

large

Size:

Height:

10 1/4"

Private Phil Butler character jug - Ben Quilty 2014
Private Phil Butler character jug - Ben Quilty 2014
Private Phil Butler character jug - Ben Quilty 2014
Private Phil Butler character jug - Ben Quilty 2014
Private Phil Butler character jug - Ben Quilty 2014
Private Phil Butler character jug - Ben Quilty 2014
Private Phil Butler character jug - Ben Quilty 2014
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