At age 88, when most artists would be well into retirement, Beatrice Wood embarked on a new body of work aesthetically different from her earlier ceramics. Critically lauded as innovative and expressive, the new work almost eclipsed her past objects. The signature pots from this period are a series of complex, often large-scale chalices. Assembled from thrown and hand-built forms, the chalices are totemic, sculptural compositions that demonstrate true harmony between form and glaze.

At once vivid and subtle, Wood's glazes have depth and tonal richness and seem to be molded with light. This spectrum was achieved through her all-over, in-glaze luster that, when fired, caused metallic salts to rise to the surface, a complex process almost impossible to control. Here, the gold luster glaze has irredescent highlights as well as brown undertones that enhance the depth and texture of the surface.