Swirls of color

The work of Wyoming potter Byron Seeley mines one of the craftiest veins of ceramic art. His Red Canyon Ware collection, shown here, uses red, white and black clay that is wheel thrown and manipulated to create rippling bands of color reminiscent of the highly collectible Mission Swirl pattern made by Niloak Pottery in Arkansas from 1909 to the mid-1940s. In Seeley’s hands, the technique of mixing clays yields intricate patterns that look like the marbled papers in old books, or perhaps a particularly earthy Missoni print. More refined than rustic, his vases and pitchers have tall and slender midcentury silhouettes with the handcrafted details often found in 1970s stoneware. The pieces run from $200 to $960 at Bourgeois Boheme, 330 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 936-7507; www.bobo-antiques.com.