Archaeologist Cooks Up His Own Pottery For Sale
"High heel shoes," ceramic sculpture by Michael Brian Schiffer
Michael Brian Schiffer's original creations generate scholarship funds for the UA anthro department.
University of Arizona archaeologist, author and artist Michael Brian Schiffer will hold a sale of his ceramic art works in April. This is the fifth sale since 2000. Proceeds from the sale benefit the Louie and Frances-Fera Schiffer Scholarship Fund in the UA anthropology department.
Currently, Schiffer is the Fred A. Riecker Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at the UA, the oldest endowed chair in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Schiffer’s research and textbooks in behavioral archaeology have helped reshape notions of how artifacts and other archaeological remains are interpreted.
He’s also written about technological change for wider audiences, with books on electric automobiles, portable radios and even on how Benjamin Franklin’s scientific research influenced the development of the first devices powered by electricity.
Schiffer also founded and operates the Laboratory of Traditional Technology in the UA anthropology department. The lab provides space and equipment for students studying both traditional and experimental archaeology to test assumptions of how ancient materials were used.
Ceramics began as a hobby for Schiffer, who started as an undergraduate at UCLA. Over the years, he honed his technique by studying with some of America’s best ceramic artists, including Laura Andresen, Bill van Gilder and Joan Ulrich. His own works include a variety of both functional and imaginative forms in stoneware and porcelain.
Purchases can be made by cash or check only.
et cetera
- What | Pottery Sale: The Works of Michael Brian Schiffer
- When | Friday, April 11, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, April 12, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Where | Haury Anthropology Building, Room 125
- Contact Info
Michael B. Schiffer
520-621-6298
