"Ceramics and Glass," which opened last weekend at Bookplace in Oxford, is a fun cross-section of works by six artists who show what's possible in the two mediums.

Amedeo Salamoni works in the tradition of southern folk art with his face jugs, which tend to have a sidelong expression that makes them distinctly his own.

Meg Lau's impressively large vessels have roots in ancient Asian designs, but they are fired with shadowy smudges that look like wood smoke caught in a breeze. The large pieces make a room-filling statement, but even the smaller pedestal bowls have a striking look, blending the ancient and modern.

Kevin Lehman unites pottery lamp bases with glass shades, most notably one in which the swirled glass shade echoes the horizontal glaze pattern on the base. Lehman's glass work ranges from simple tumblers to spectacular bowls that also make vivid statements as wall pieces. They catch the light wonderfully, and the undulating edges echo natural leaf forms, or perhaps the surface of rippling water.

Carolyn Hess decorates redware with designs rooted in the past, but there's an energy to her style that's best shown in her bowl decorated with hens and chicks around the rim.

Maggie Creshkoff shows a selection of her pottery animals, whose googly eyes and sly grins make them immediately identifiable.

Rounding out the exhibit are several pieces by Gill Mallinckrodt, making "Ceramics and Glass" a very satisfying show. Most of the items are priced for holiday gift-giving, so plan to stop by the gallery and book store in the coming weeks to do a little browsing of your own.

Bookplace is at 2373 Baltimore Pike in Oxford. It is open Friday from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Call 717-715-4775 for more information, or visit www.bookplaceoxford.com.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, e-mail [email protected].