Royal Spoonbill
Meredith Baillie
Royal Spoonbill (detail) 2026
White raku with porcelain slip
Interior glaze
40 x 35 x 16 cm
About the Artwork
Royal Spoonbill portrays one of Australia’s most distinctive wetland birds in breeding plumage. The vessel was designed in response to the bird, with the asymmetrical rim reflecting the sweep of its crest so that form and image become a single composition. Layers of black slip are carefully carved to reveal the white porcelain beneath, using subtle tonal shading to convey the softness and structure of the bird’s plumage. Based on a photograph by Muneer Al Shanti.
About the Artist
Meredith Baillie is a ceramic artist working on Dharug/Guringai land, Berowra, NSW, whose handbuilt vessels combine sculptural form with finely detailed sgraffito drawn from close observation of Australian birdlife. Her practice extends the traditional sgraffito process through the use of subtle tonal shading, creating depth and texture that reveal the character of each bird. After establishing and running Sappho Books & Café in Glebe for 26 years, she turned her focus to ceramics and now works from Hornsby TAFE Open Studio.