As with lusterware, Thorley’s fascination with crystalline glazes came from an attraction to traditional ceramics. Crystalline glazes were developed by the Chinese thousands of years ago, treasured by European potters in the 1800s, and revived as part of the hand-craft craze of the early twentieth century. Thorley’s large file included formulas for crystalline glazes dated to the 1920s and 30s, which he resurrected in the 1960s and 70s, as seen here. The glazes contained high levels of zinc, which would crystallize when the kiln temperature was dropped very quickly. This time-intensive technique was exciting but often disastrous. Even with perfected glazes and repeated experimentation, Thorley never know how the “explosions” would look when he unloaded his kiln.

Fascinated with both color and form, Thorley often took a single shape and then added many different colors, textures, and patterns to create a wide variety of distinctive objects. Thorley was particularly skilled with mottled glazes. His rich and deep blues seem to be oozing or sometimes cascading down the side of a vase. The effect was created by removing the piece from the kiln when it reached just the right point of richness and depth. For this reason, each piece is unique.