Jaru of California Maternal Rest Ceramic Sculpture

A long, reclining gesture gives Maternal Rest its immediate calm; at 21 inches wide, the figure settles into the room with assured horizontal presence. Modeled in ceramic and rising 12 inches high, the sculpture enlarges an intimate moment without making it sentimental. It is identified with Art Jaru, also known as Jaru of California, whose 1970s–1980s decorative ceramics have become a distinct thread in American postwar interiors. That named California provenance, together with the subject and unusually generous scale, separates the piece from anonymous figurative pottery. The form is best seen in profile, where the maternal curve and broad 21 inch width can unfold without interruption. It has the composure of a studio object meant to be lived alongside.