Ancient Rings #84

Jim Scheller

Ancient Rings #84, 2025

In Ancient Rings 84, structure and flow converge in a layered geometry of presence. Thousands of hand-cut fragments form a canvas of ivory rings—meticulously placed, yet gently undulating like a remembered landscape.

Dark amber arcs bend through the surface, suggesting pathways or pulse lines—quietly glowing, never loud. They lead the eye toward two luminous circles: a soft turquoise at the base and a vibrant green set above, joined not by symmetry, but by intention. Together they suggest alignment, balance, perhaps even ascent.

The vessel seems to hold breath. It doesn’t demand attention—it invites contemplation. Each line, each curve, each interruption speaks in its own measured tone. Light moves through it slowly, casting glints across the interior, as if the glass remembers something you’ve almost forgotten.

This is a piece about listening. About orientation. About what happens when a vessel stops being an object—and starts becoming a presence.

The pieces are fused at 1490F to form a flat disk and then slumped in a 1175F kiln three times in ceramic molds of increasing depth. As the hot, soft glass begins to drop the molds are adjusted by hand to ensure the proper shape. The matte finished opaque and transparent body is topped with a polished lip. 

6 x 10 x 10 inches