Mary Kay Davis’ Southdowns bath

Clay Moorish-style columns. The style was inspired by my travels to the five imperial cities of Morocco, and through many communities and significant historical sites in Spain and Portugal. They are made from clay and a natural clay glaze I made, called Terra Sigillata. The capitals are banded with 22-karat yellow gold, fired onto the clay at 1300 degrees Fahrenheit, and decorated with papyrus leaves incised and delineated by natural mineral oxides mixed with clay to achieve the desired colors of green, tangerine and blue, then finished with a matte glaze.

Angel water bearer. She is a seven-foot winged Grecian figure inspired by Renaissance paintings.

Chair rail composition. The chair rail at waist height surrounds the perimeter of the room. It is comprised of some of my favorite works produced by Mother Nature and juxtaposed by that which is man-made: Brazilian quartz crystal points, pearls, seashells and Roman period glass shards, which are located at the Cardinal Points in the room. I collected these specifically for this installation.

Rope borders. These are classical architectural appointments, and the top of the field tile were extruded as coiled clay and then rolled onto a wood form to make the striation to appear like rope. I sprigged this piece onto a flat rectangular slab of clay and polychromed to the desired effect.

Candlesticks. Inspired by the Italian Renaissance goldsmiths, such as Benvento Cellini, I handmade these 22-karat gold gilded candlesticks in my clay studio. They are formulated by the stacking of vase shapes one upon another. These were the foundation for the production of a series, and one piece, Ozymandias, is now held in the permanent collection of the Museum of American Art in the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C.