Ann Robinson consistently looks to her environment for inspiration and Amphora reflects the shapes and colour of the nikau palm, which is native to New Zealand. The work also refers to the two-handled vessels used by ancient Greeks and Romans, called amphorae. Robinson has used a glass casting technique known as pâte de verre. Powdered glass is fired in a mould until it fuses, giving the object a semitranslucent quality. Robinson’s glass mixture uses up to 45% lead crystal, which adds to the luminosity and intensity of the colour. Robinson was born in Auckland and studied art at the University of Auckland. She has won many awards, including the Philips Glass Award in 1984 and 1986, and the Winstone Biennale Award for Craft in 1987. Robinson has exhibited her work worldwide. It was among the New Zealand works at Expo in Brisbane in 1988 and in ‘Treasures of the Underworld’ at the World Expo in Seville in 1992. Robinson has also taught at the prestigious Pilchuck Glass School in the United States.