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In collaboration with Annie Sloan, this original artwork has been created exclusively for Oxfordshire ArtWeeks, inspired by the Bodleian's medieval bestiary collection.

This boldly populated illustration shows a whale, and a ship full of sailors aground on top of it. Misconceptions around whales abounded, with their behaviours remaining a mystery even to frequent sailors, let alone the monks illustrating bestiaries from their secluded monasteries. These monks would look to the Bible to guide their drawings, where the tale of Jonah tells of God sending a whale to swallow him. So, we see a lot of man-eating whales in the Bestiaries; deceiving sailors and eating them or luring them down to the depths of Hell. Annie has used the shape of the bowl to suggest the swirling depths of the ocean. 

These handmade plates are made from red terracotta clay (earthenware), individually thrown and trimmed on a potter's wheel. Loosely based on Delftware 'Blue Dash' chargers from the 17th & 18th centuries. Hand painted by Annie Sloan and fired in an electric kiln to 1080 degrees Celsius. 

This piece is matt glazed.

• Handmade plates made from red terracotta clay (earthenware)
• Individually thrown and trimmed 
• Hand painted with ceramic glazes and signed by Annie Sloan 
• 34.7cms diameter