THE MIDNIGHT COVEN

Halloween is, without a doubt, the absolute best season of the year. There is an electric, mysterious spark in October that stirs my imagination like nothing else: dry leaves dancing in the wind, long shadows on quiet paths, and the intoxicating feeling that ancient, secret magic is alive all around us.

When I was making "The Midnight Coven" in my studio, I was enchanted by the idea of an unbroken sisterhood of witches gathering in the deep woods at the midnight hour. Wearing slender masks over their eyes, they join hands under the full moon to perform an ancient, joyful dance, weaving their voices together to cast a powerful Halloween spell of protection, wisdom, and celebration. I wanted the piece itself to feel like the dance: alive with movement, rhythm, and mystery.

This piece is 100% handmade and hand-sculpted by me, Idania Salcido, the artist behind Danita Art. I built the bowl from rich, speckled stoneware clay and carved every single witch by hand right here in my studio, firing it to perfection in my old-school electric kiln.

Around the outside walls, a circle of masked witches dances side by side, their cloaks and gowns decorated in contrasting carved polka dots and elegant stripes. In a stroke of playful design, their tall pointy hats extend right past the edge of the vessel, rising up to create a dramatic, crown-like silhouette around the entire rim. The deep, glossy black glaze cuts striking contours against the raw, toasty speckled clay, giving it the primal, unearthed feel of an ancient ceremonial artifact.