ABOUT THE WORK
Book Holder is a small functional sculpture that combines objective precision and symbolic form. Its composition resembles the silhouette of a house: two diagonal planes form the roof, and the clean space above it becomes a place for a book and a symbolic mise-en-scène. The clear geometry gives this piece a restrained, conceptualized posture.
History
The form of this work is based on one of the most recognizable archetypal signs – the outline of a house. However, here it functions not as a decorative motif, but as a structure: the book becomes a roof, the holder – a support, and the inner cavity – a repository for the artifact of thought. The composition is rational, symmetrical, stable. It is this statics that creates the impression of finality and allows the object to act as a work of small architecture.
Materiality here is inseparable from the idea. The visually solid surface absorbs the gaze, and the light edges of the book's pages stand out as a compositional counterpoint. The miniature figure incorporated in the center – a motif of a house, a city – reinforces the sense of scale: the book here becomes a building, and reading – an act of returning to it.
This is a work about the book as a refuge. Not about urgent consumption, but about stopping, returning, and continuing thought. The holder protects not only the place on the page. It protects the very state of reading – that interval of time between closing the book and opening it again.
Combination ideas
This piece is particularly well suited to a restrained interior, where form, surface and light fall are important. It is close to wood tones, black, graphite and light pastel-colored bedside table surfaces, natural stone, glass. Several carefully selected, favorite books can be arranged next to it, but it is quite independent and alone.
Occasion
Gift for a book enthusiast | A new reading experience | A thoughtful item for yourself
CARE OF CHAMOMILE SCULPTURES AND INTERIOR DECORATIVE ITEMS
Fine-grained chamotte sculptures have a more porous and often unglazed surface, which makes them more sensitive to abrasion, to absorbing dirt and to unsuitable wet cleaning. The most important precaution is dry cleaning.Precious metal lustres (gold, platinum, palladium and similar) are a thin on-glaze layer fired at a lower temperature, so they are more vulnerable to abrasives and friction. Care for such decoration gently, by hand, without scrubbing.
MATERIAL PROPERTIESChamotte is clay that has been fired at a high temperature and ground down, then mixed back into the clay body. It reduces shrinkage during drying and firing, helps the piece dry more evenly and can increase resistance to thermal stress, especially in larger forms. At the same time it can leave the surface more porous and give it an absorbent texture, particularly where the piece is unglazed.These instructions apply to fine-grained chamotte sculptures and interior objects, often larger forms, which may be unglazed or partly glazed.
CLEANINGDry cleaning (the main method): lift the dust with a soft brush and guide it into a vacuum cleaner set to minimum suction. Do not use rough cloths, as they increase the risk of scratches and of the decoration losing its shine.Wet cleaning only in exceptional cases: washing or soaking is not recommended, especially where the surface is porous, where there are older repairs or where the condition is unclear. If it is unavoidable (for example, sticky dirt), consult a specialist first.
COMPARISON OF MATERIALS| Material | Decor | Is it dishwasher safe? | Recommended cleaning | Risks |
| Fine fraction chamotte | There is no luster. | No | Dry cleaning: soft brush, vacuum cleaner with minimum suction; wet cleaning – only exceptionally | Surface stains from grease/touch; scratched |
| Fine fraction chamotte | Precious metal luster (local) | No | Minimal contact: dry, ultra-gentle wiping | Measuring polished areas; damage to decorative coating |
Gilding/luster is a thin overglaze layer, easily damaged by abrasion and will wear away over time if not properly maintained.
LITERATURESIO-2. (n.d.).
What is grog and what is it used for? https://www.sio-2.com/gb/blog/tips-information/what-is-grog-and-what-is-it-used-forNational Park Service. (2008).
Museum handbook: Ceramics.
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/museums/upload/08-01_508.pdfCanadian Conservation Institute. (n.d.).
Care of ceramics and glass.
https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/conservation-preservation-publications/canadian-conservation-institute-notes/care-ceramics-glass.htmlLithuanian National Museum of Art. (nd).
Pranas Gudynas Restoration Center – activities.
https://www.lndm.lt/struktura/pgrc_veikla/
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