Very unusual and unique rattle measures 9 1/2 inches long and 1 3/8 inches in diameter. Larry Halvorsen constructs his pieces using a combination of handbuilding techniques including coils, press and slump molds and slab building. All the pieces are coated with black slip, and then using the ancient technique of sgraffito, he carves back through the slip exposing the natural clay beneath. Halvorsen's influences range from ancient stone tools, ritual objects, and Celtic monoliths to the wondrous variety of form and pattern in nature. And the two years he spent in the Peace Corp in Central America -- seeing Pre-Colombian pottery, the Mayan sites of Tikal and Copan, and the highlands of Guatemala.

About the artist: Check out his Web site www.Halvorsenclay.com