One of the luxuries of working at the Museum is the opportunity to daily challenge my preconceived notions of art. In the interest of cracking the "code" of ceramics, I made it one of my missions this week to seriously consider the ceramic works of art in the featured exhibition, Asian Influence on American Ceramics.
Kenneth Ferguson’s Four-Legged Vessel, 2004 is prominently placed. 
It is large, green and contains rabbit and turtle imagery. Rabbit heads face upward and their ears cover the vessel legs. I am aware that rabbits play an important role in Asian mythology, and are assigned complex personalities. They can be kind, sensitive, artistic, but can also be moody and superficial. The presence of a turtle perching on the vessel lid’s handle must also be considered. Turtles can be interpreted to symbolize the water element in Chinese mythology. They can also be symbols of longevity and good fortune. The rabbits look up to the turtle, perhaps for good fortune or recognizing in him wisdom that comes with longevity. Or a multitude of other possibilities from a multitude of definitions for the cultural symbols of other Asian groups.
Adding layers of color, clay type, slip, size and function further complicate an interpretation. A lidded vessel could be used to store food. It could hold a religious offering. The color green could refer to wealth or the Earth. Or the entire construction could be purely experimental.
I moved forward into L7 and was immediately drawn to Victor Babu's Canister, 1983. 
Canister, 1983 is smooth, graceful in contour. Vibrant and engaging, yet elegant, in color selection. A delicate butterfly rests just in sight. Flower heads lean heavily down. Perhaps I am sentimental, but in this ceramic object I see calm. I did, nonetheless, walk away from this object wondering about the historical trajectory of ceramic art: what motivated American artists to adopt or be influenced by Asian ceramics? What did they see or experience when viewing these objects? Why were they compelled to experiment?
I left Ferguson’s vessel and Babu's canister with more questions than answers—which opens for me a realm of continued evolution and opportunities which I had previously not considered.