Mike Phillips Art: About Alabaster Vessels

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What Are Alabaster Vessels

Alabaster is a stone which has been used for centuries for ceremonial vessels and decorative lamps. The alabaster Mike uses is from Utah, Colorado and Italy and ranges in color from white, pink, orange or green to gray or black. It may be opaque or translucent and is often beautifully banded with minerals of contrasting color. Each vein of alabaster has unique color and characteristics depending on the area and mineral deposit from which it is quarried. The stone is best displayed under bright light, but should not be used to contain water or be exposed to intense heat.

Making an artistic hollow vessel from alabaster involves cutting a manageable size stone (up to 150 pounds) from the larger slabs that are extracted from various alabaster mines. The stone is then mounted on the lathe, as shown above.

As the stone spins on the lathe, it is sculpted to the desired shape on the outside, then hollowed out on the inside, to a thickness of less than 1/4 inch (picture at right).

Once a uniform thin wall has been achieved on the lathe, the vessel is ready for finishing and final polishing (lower right). The orange translucent stone shown here is one of Mike's most popular sellers, and is becoming quite rare.

Alabaster is best displayed under bright light, but should not be used to contain water nor be exposed to intense heat.