The University of Iowa Museum of Art Ceramics Gallery.

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World ceramics has become a central part of the permanent collection of the University of Iowa Museum of Art (UIMA). Here, ceramics from 8th--10th century Iran exist alongside antiquities from Peru and Mexico, Southwest-American Indian masters and 10th-century and contemporary African vessels and storage jars. This collection is also a repository for study, for expansion of thought; it is a history that holds pots by University of Iowa faculty artists and graduates of the program, as well as strong examples that respond to Iowa's woodfire tradition. The collection is a reflection of the personal journey of its mentor, Gerald Eskin, and his dedicated commitment to education and the enrichment of the cultural community. Its true strength, however, is the modern and contemporary American ceramics collection which, beginning in 1979, has been served by gifts from Joan E. Mannheimer. The Mannheimer Collection has been reinforced by works of art reflecting the global history of the field.

The study collection, which reveals the diversity of ceramics, ranges from a Chinese vessel of the Neolithic period to a vigorous abstract vessel by Peter Voulkos. The evolution of clay is documented with utilitarian …