Studio Art Pottery Plant Pot Holder Brown Tan Vase Bowl TEXTURED GLOSSY SIGNED

Up for sale is a nice piece of what I think is called studio art pottery. I don't know much about pieces like these, so I'm trying to be as honest about what I think it is as possible. I tried to fill out ebay's item specific fields as best as I could and hope I was accurate with this item's details and the description. When I saw this little vase/bowl, I thought it was too neat to pass by. It looked like the artist was trying to carve in some type of Egyptian or Greek symbols. Well, that's what it looked like to me. It has two types of browns on the glazing. It's shiny and smooth. It has texture on the lighter tan part. I think the artist tried to sign it, but I can't make out what the scratches on the bottom say or mean. This could serve in all sorts of ways: a vase, pencil holder, plant holder, or a display piece. I think this is beautiful and interesting at the same time-and you know no one else will have the same piece! It measures about 4 inches wide by 4 inches tall. It's pretty heavy, too. Just over a pound. Thanks for looking!