Photos By Gail

This pink glass Face Jug (2025) by renowned glass artist Therman Statom is one of a set of six created with a rounded body,  a sculpted face, full lips, strong  brows, large eyes, and the thoughtful expression. The vessels are inspired by eighteenth-century face jugs created by the descendants of West Africans in South Carolina. Originally made using clay, face jugs were a way for enslaved peoples to preserve their African culture of beliefs, including honoring one’s ancestors.

For Statom, the jugs are a personal way to show hospitality and remembrance, bringing the Jewish practice of Ushpizin into dialogue with his understanding of the Black experience. Ushpizin is the practice of welcoming guests to are no longer living – mainly, important people from Jewish history, into the sukkah.

Today, Jews also welcome friends and family, both real and imagined, into their sukkot. It’s a way to show kindness, share a meal, and give things to nature during the fall harvest season.

Photographed in the Skirball Center in Los Angeles.