Somewhere between their tenth and eleventh year, my two youngest got their prudishness on.
They’re learning about human sexuality at school, in health class or whatever they call it these days. They’re well aware of what the mature human form looks like, and we’ve always spoken frankly about its function (and quirks), but now the naked bits have become something to, well, titter over.
They snicker behind their hands at provocative paintings and explode with laughter at the ‘v’ and ‘p’ words. I’ve taken to casually dropping the anatomically correct word bombs during innocuous conversations just to hear them howl.
I wasn’t aiming for the easy provocation when I came home with the Willendorf-like teapot as my Mother’s Day gift. I favour anthropomorphic art and craft, regardless of the medium. I am driven by faces and the human form.
But the face on the pot wasn’t the issue. I placed her in my glass-fronted cabinet just above eye level. When the kids floated by I pointed at my purchase and thanked them profusely for their “gift.”
“Mamma! Ewwwwww!!” they hollered, flapping their arms and turning in circles in search of some crucifix that would ward off the nakedness. Anything large enough would do. She stood on tippy-toes to place the postcard and he carefully closed the cabinet, satisfied.
The next day I asked Nonna Gio if she would crochet up a modest solution to their discomfort.
What’s more appropriate for the summer than a bespoke string bikini?
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Gorgeous teapots, and other fabulous ceramics, available at:
Monsky Creations Gallery, Merrickville, Ontario