This multi-component porcelain vessel is the result of a recent collaboration I shared with New York City architect, designer, and artist, Salvatore V. LaRossa. Mr. LaRossa is a founding partner of B Five Studio, an architecture and design firm in New York City. Examples of his work from buildings, interiors, to meticulously crafted objects can be viewed from this B Five Studio website link at (http://bfivestudio.com/partner_sl.html).

Our collaboration spanned numerous weeks exchanging design concepts between Kyoto and New York, and yielded this final piece in wheel-thrown porcelain. The work embodies form, function, and religious symbolism to a cultural and historical context. This porcelain construction combines the pyx with a wine drinking vessel and a wine pouring receptacle. Mr. LaRossa is presently constructing a tabernacle made of 'thassos' stone from Greece that will house this porcelain pyx assembly. The 'Pyx Tabernacle' will become a part of a series of tabernacles he has been creating; the series can be viewed at (http://twelvetabernacles.com). This particular 'Pyx tabernacle' will be included in a book Mr. LaRossa is due to complete in the Spring of 2014.

The porcelain form below unfolds into four components: a pouring wine vessel, a wine cup, and a container with lid (pyx). The disassembly of the porcelain vessel will be illustrated over the coming weeks. The working sketch hints as to how the components nest and unfold.