The Art Nouveau Movement—which we translate as "The New Style" or "The Modern Style"—came on the heels of the Nineteenth Century's "Great Leap Forward." It was a time of progress and increased understanding of science, discovery and critical understanding. At the Turn-of-the-Twentieth-Century, industry boomed. The Middle Class grew. And more people (for the first time) had a little extra money to spend on luxuries, rather than spend every last penny on necessities. This expansion of wealth and markets had an enormous effect on artists, designers, and those who employed them to create and produce merchandise for a growing Middle Class. Whereas, in the past, artists were "commissioned" to work for the "very few, very rich" patrons, artists were now...
A flower frog is a device used to assist in floral arranging. It helps to hold-in-place the stems which might otherwise shift out-of-place. Most often, one will see frogs used when arranging stems in a low bowl. With a taller vase, the high walls and "throat" of the vessel helps to consolidate the flowers. But arrangements in a bowl—especially when very few stems are used—can be much more challenging to affect the perfect look. It is believed that flower frogs originated in Japan in the 1300's. The Japanese dubbed them kenzan, which means "sword mountain." They were spiky, needle-like structures which were perfect for ikebana arrangements—in which very few (three? five?) perfect stems were positioned (perfectly) in a low, horizontal...
Happy Father's Day to all the men who helped to raise, teach and inspire children—men who provide(d) the best examples of self-discipline, integrity and kindness. Conceiving a child is the easiest step. So is letting someone else raise him or her. Growing a good, constructive and honest child is the hard part (and it is the part that counts). Shown here, a Danish Modernist stoneware sculpture by Axel Thilson Locher (1879 - 1941). He designed works for the Copenhagen ceramics studio Bing & Grøndahl. Locher was born in Copenhagen to an artistic family. His father was nautical painter Carl Ludvig Thilson Locher (1851-1915)—and Carl's father was a nautical painter before him. Both Carl and Axel lived and worked in Skagen,...
Now: something for the father who appreciates fine and good-looking . . . books. A pair of French terracotta bookends sculpted by Joe Descamps and produced in ceramic by Louis Lourioux. Joe Descamps (1869-1950), sometimes spelled Descomps, was a master sculptor who specialized in female nudes. His subjects were often placed in pastoral or floral settings. He worked in both the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods (and, indeed, this pair of bookends seems to be "transitional"—that is, reflecting aspects of both aesthetic schools). Descamps also designed jewelry and metal sculpture. Ceramicist Camille Louis Lourioux (1874-1930) was born into a family of potters. In his Twenties, he managed a ceramics workshop with his father. But he soon set-out on his...
Danish artist Knud Kyhn (1880-1969) was a master of capturing "animal energy" in his stoneware sculptures. His bears exhibit ursine energy. His cats express feline energy. And, naturally, his bulls channel bovine energy—as does the "Bull in Repose," shown here. The animal swings its heavy head—atop an impossibly thick neck—perhaps expelling the bothersome flies which have landed on his massive back.
Knud Kyhn worked for Royal Copenhagen for many years, hand-sculpting the original "models" (many of them animals) and supervising their production and glazing. Royal Copenhagen was in the business of producing "collectible" artworks, thus, they would produce a small number of each design every year—usually marking the bottoms of each piece with a date-mark.
The idea of visiting the graves of loved ones—perhaps cleaning, tending or decorating them—is an ancient custom, observed the world over. Throughout history, towns, cities, states or countries may have designated a specific day on which this might occur. After the American Civil War, Union General John A. Logan called on all Americans to observe 30 May 1868 as a National "Decoration Day"—a day on which loved ones could visit and lay flowers on the graves of fallen Union soldiers. By 1890, each US state, North and South, had adopted 30 May as Decoration Day. In 1968, the US Congress "regularized" the date to the last Monday in May—which also created a three day federal holiday. And, in 1971, the...
Lions have enjoyed a long history in the decorative arts. This rampant lion—incised upon a Belgian Art Nouveau vase—looks like he could have come from Minoan Crete or Mycenaean Greece. It is true that ancient themes often have been "recycled" by later artists—especially after a new archaeological discovery is made, inspiring new takes on old artworks. This two-handled stoneware vase was made in Belgium by Antoine DuBois (1869-1949), probably around 1920. Initial excavations as Knosos, the remarkable palace on the island of Crete, began in 1877. Much archaeological progress was made in the earliest years of the Twentieth Century—right before this vase was conceived. Crete is considered, by many, the "cradle of Western Civilization." Crete's Minoan art and civilization (3000-1150...
Welcome, May, and your birthstone, the Regal Emerald.
Emeralds—one of the four "Cardinal Gemstones"—are called "The Jewel of Kings," and they enjoy a long and illustrious history. Egyptians mined them from 1500 BC and legend has it that Cleopatra decorated her body and her palace with the gemstone. They have been mined in Austria and India since the 1300's and, in 1535, were discovered by Spanish explorers in Columbia (which remains the largest source of emeralds to this day). Emeralds have been credited with increasing fertility, providing immortality, conferring riches, power and eloquence, strengthening memory, counter-acting poisoning or infection, and empowering its wearer to predict the future.
We end our tribute to Pope Francis—and the simple, elegant, white ceramics which remind us of him—with this handsome, Art Deco piece, circa 1935. It was made by Roseville, a ceramics workshop founded in Roseville, Ohio, in 1890. Initially, Roseville made "utilitarian wares" like flower pots and umbrella stands. Over the years, Roseville added dozens of "lines" of pottery, from the delicately hand-painted studio wares to the high-volume mass production wares. Roseville also made several pieces (shapes) which they produced as "blanks"—that is, bisque-fired pieces which could be stored for glazing (and possibly decoration) later, as the orders came in. This strategy allowed Roseville to maintain maximum flexibility, only committing to the production of a specific piece after it had...
We come back to Haeger Pottery with this Modernist piece, made in the Sixties or Seventies. It is a highly-architectural silhouette—with more than a passing resemblance to Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim Museum on Fifth Avenue, New York City. Although it is firmly within the Modernist sensibility, there is still a trace of the "long tail" of the Art Deco movement (which began in the Twenties and lingered-on, evolving, yes, well into the Fifties and Sixties). It is finished with a matte white glaze.
In 1886, German immigrants Thedore Ebeling and Frederick Reuss joined John E. F. Zeh (in Philadelphia) to import glass and ceramics items from Europe to America. In 1900, Zeh left the company, now called Ebeling & Reuss. The company imported European crystal, ceramics figurines, and art pottery pieces—like the Secessionist vase, shown here—to be sold-onwards to gift shops and other retailers in America.
This Secessionist vase is topped with three crisp handles and finished with a flat, matte white glaze. It was made in the newly-formed Czechoslovakia (established in 1918) and bears the date mark of 1918 - 1921.
This week, we are marking the passing of Pope Francis by sharing a collection of simple, white ceramics which (somehow) capture the elegant purity and honest simplicity of the beloved pontiff. Like Fulper Pottery in Flemington, New Jersey, Haeger Pottery began its life humbly. It was founded in 1871 making bricks, drain tiles, flower pots and tiles in Dundee, Illinois. In 1914, Haeger decided to establish a higher-margin artware division. Haeger hired-away ceramicist Johann Martin Stangl (from Fulper) to direct the new division. Thus began one of the highest volume mass-production ceramics workshops in America. Eventually, Stangl returned to Fulper (which he later purchased and renamed after himself). But Haeger continued to grow (and succeed) through the Art Deco and...
So many ceramics manufacturers started their lives by making "sanitary ware" or even more utilitarian items like tiles and sewer pipes. Time and circumstances allowed these companies to adapt to the changing times, perhaps seeking higher-end, more profitable output. The Hill Pottery Company was founded in 1814 in Flemington, New Jersey. Around the time of the American Civl War, Abram Fulper purchased the company (renaming it "Fulper"). By the Turn-of-the-Century, his grandson, William Fulper II, was running the firm. In 1909, William Fulper created the art pottery division, calling it "Fulper Vasecraft." Fulper needed an experienced ceramicist to develop the cutting-edge forms and glazes of a "studio ceramics" workshop. He hired Johann Martin Stangl, an immigrant from Munich, Germany,...
Abingdon Sanitary Manufacturing Company, founded in Knoxville, Illinois, in 1908, was the maker of America's finest "sanitary ware": sinks, toilets, water fountains. Their special blend of clays and high-heat firing methods created a "vitreous china" product that was beautiful, watertight, and resistant to damage. Abingdon was the first manufacturer to introduce colored plumbing fixtures to the market (1928). In 1933, Abingdon supplied all the plumbing fixtures to the Chicago's World Fair. The Depression was not good for the company; nationwide, most building projects came to a halt. Most of Abingdon's orders were cancelled. So, from 1934 to 1950, Abingdon introduced a line of "consumer" artware items—using the very same vitreous china and glazes that they used for their sanitary ware....
This morning's passing of Pope Francis marked the end of a chapter of the Catholic Church. Francis was my favorite pope, in my lifetime—and many people (Catholic or not) were moved (and improved) by his call for Mercy.
Part of Francis's appeal was the conviction with which he side-stepped the enticing grandeur of the office. He could have dressed ornately. He could have lived in the opulent Papal Apartments. Instead, he chose to live in a modest apartment—alongside brother priests—and he dressed in the simple, white garments which represented modesty, purity and simplicity. This is not to say that Francis blended-in with a crowd. On the contrary, one always knew who he was and what he represented.
Ancient Jewish burial practices involved washing the body, anointing it with perfumes, oils and spices, and wrapping the body in linen. In the Good Friday Gospel accounts of Jesus's burial, it was the women who performed these rituals. Jesus's burial preparation was complicated by the fact that he died on a Friday afternoon, just as observant Jews were preparing for the pending Sabbath (which would begin at sundown). So Jesus was placed in the tomb quickly on Friday; the women planned to return on Sunday (after the Sabbath) to finish their work. The English Arts & Crafts two-handled pot, shown above, makes me think of the type of vessel (perhaps with the addition of a cover) in which the women...
Haeger Potteries began its life in 1852 as a utilitarian brick maker in Dundee, Illinois. They sourced their clay along the banks of the local Fox River, a tributary of the Illinois River. In 1871, David Haeger, a German immigrant, purchased half of the company. Within a year, he had purchased the other half. He began producing tiles and operated under the name Dundee Brick and Tile. The Great Fire of Chicago, in 1871, provided a tremendous opportunity for Haeger. The company shipped millions of bricks and tiles to help rebuild the devastated city. In 1914, David's son, Edmund Haeger, introduced "artware" (decorative consumer items) to the company's production line. Edmund recruited Martin Stangl from Fulper Pottery to oversee this...
Within the world of decorative arts, ceramics are amongst my favorites items. I also love decorative light fixtures (versus built-in lighting, like canisters and recessed fixtures). Light fixtures are like the "jewelry" which decorates a beautiful room. So, for me, this Mid-Century Modernist lamp tics two boxes at once.
This large ceramic "vessel" is finished with an organic, dripping "honey and mustard" glazing. Though of simple form, the large size—and the interesting glazes—elevate the lamp to the realm of "statement piece."
Let's end our Saint Patrick's Day "Parade of Green" with this handsome participant: an English Arts & Crafts vase by Pilkington Royal Lancastrian. The voluptuous and bulbous body is surrounded with a line of prehistoric "fiddlesticks," like the unfurled curls atop an emerging fern. The use of naturalistic, Darwinian—sometimes even grotesque—botanical elements is classic Art Nouveau.
Equal to the superb form is the sensational finish. The glazing is a dappled blend of green and blue—rich and deep. The complex glaze only adds greater intensity to an already highly-dimensional form.
Sgrafitto is the Italian word for the technique of artistic scratching (from the verb graffiare—"to scratch"). This method may be used on plaster, on painted works, or (like with the vase shown above) on ceramics. After the ceramic piece is fired once—and a "bisque" form is obtained—it is glazed and allowed to air dry. Once dried, selected areas are scratched-away with a stylus, revealing the raw clay, beneath. When the glaze is fired a second time, the color—and the scratched-away design—become permanent.
The sgrafitto technique was popularized in Renaissance Italy, especially on the ceramic (tiled) surfaces of grand buildings. The technique later became popular in Persian ceramic craft.
Reginald Guy Cowan (1884-1957) was born into a family of ceramicists in East Liverpool, Ohio (itself a major center of ceramics production). He studied at the New York State School of Clayworking at Alfred University (in Western New York). After school, he settled in Cleveland where, in 1908, he introduced pottery-making in the public schools. He also began teaching ceramics industry at trade schools and was an instructor at the Art Institute of Cleveland. Eventually, Cowan opened his own pottery workshop, the Cleveland Pottery and Tile Company in Lakewood, Ohio—a "street car suburb" of Cleveland, on Lake Erie. Cowan's architectural tiles, used throughout the Greater Cleveland area, paid the rent. But he also produced a small range of decorative "artware"...
Earlier this week, I expressed my love for matte green Arts & Crafts pottery. I find the shade so relaxing and natural—reminiscent of tree leaves upon oaken furniture branches. Matte green hues extend the full range from the pale to the ultra-saturated. The matte green of the Weller Arts & Crafts vase, shown above, hits the color range dead center. And it is possibly the finest piece of matte green pottery I have ever collected. This vase was part of their "Bedford" line from the early Twentieth Century. The tall, cylindrical form is buttressed and footed—and robed in a luscious matte green glaze. One can see the incised floral decoration, underglaze, near the top of the vase.
Saint Patrick's Day has put me in a green mood. That and my increasingly greening garden. For the next several days, we'll be sharing some of our handsome green items—sure to put you in a vernal mood—all currently in-stock in the LEO Design on-line shop.
One of the first collections I assembled, in my first months after opening LEO Design in 1995, was a grouping of matte green Arts & Crafts pottery. I barely knew what it was or how it fit within the history of decorative arts. But I knew that I liked it. And I still do.
Shown here, a most-handsome Arts & Crafts jardiniere.
Saint Pádraig, the patron saint of Ireland, was from a Roman-era British family, born in (it is speculated) 385 AD. His father was a deacon and his grandfather a priest. At sixteen, Patrick was kidnapped and shipped as a slave to Ireland where he spent six years as a shepherd. In his Confessio, his spiritual autobiography, he recounts a dream in which God instructed him to escape and head for the coast where a boat would be waiting for him. He did as he was instructed and returned to Britain where he joined the seminary, preparing to take holy orders for the priesthood. In 432, now a bishop, Patrick returned to Ireland, answering a calling to convert the Irish pagans...
This week we are sharing some of our favorite Horse-themed Bookends at LEO Design. Earlier this week, we shared a pair of black vitreous porcelain horse head bookends made by Abingdon (Knoxville, Illinois). Shown above are a white pair—also made by Abingdon—which are equally stately, equally handsome.
The Abingdon Sanitary Manufacturing Company was founded in Knoxville, Illinois in 1908. They made very high quality plumbing fixtures: toilets, sinks, water fountains and other "sanitary ware." Abingdon's products were made of "vitreous porcelain"—a very heavy, dense, porcelain ceramic, coated with glass-like enameling which made the piece durable, impervious to damage or staining, and easy to clean. The company was regarded as the best in the business. They were the first company to introduce colored plumbing fixtures in 1928. And, in 1933, Abingdon provided all the plumbing fixtures for the Chicago World's Fair. Alas, during the Great Depression, the building industry was hard hit. Orders for plumbing fixtures dried-up. So, in 1934, Abingdon began producing decorative consumer goods (with the...
We welcome, March. And we welcome your flower, the Daffodil—surely a most-welcome sign of a pending Spring! Daffodils are part of the Narcissus genus which are members of the Amaryllis family. They first grew some 33 million years ago, on the Iberian peninsula, from which they spread throughout Southwestern Europe and into North Africa. They became very popular in Europe in the 1500's and were extensively developed in the Netherlands shortly thereafter. Thousands of "cultivars" were developed through selective breeding. Long known to be poisonous (thus, deer won't eat them), they have been used medicinally since ancient times. Today, they are being studied as a possible treatment for Alzheimer's Dementia. But please be careful; their chemical components can have dangerous...
Beth Breyen was one of six young, female designers, recruited by artist Nils Thorsson, to come work for Royal Copenhagen in the post-WW2 era. She was born in Norway and studied art in Oslo (form 1956 to 1960). Thorsson developed the Modernist Tenera line at Royal Copenhagen and allowed his young design staff artists to contribute their own ideas to the various items within the range. Beth Breyen seems to have been inspired by fluffy—perhaps slightly demented—birds. It is a recurring theme in her work. This ceramic plaque, made in the Sixties or Seventies, shows a pair of birds (is it a mother and a chick?) standing against a rich blue background. It was sculpted by Breyen and produced jointly...
The peregrine falcon in the fastest animal on Earth—at times achieving speeds of 240 miles per hour (while dive-bombing prey). Their athleticism, ferocity and trainability have made them useful to humans. Falconers have been working with peregrine falcons for 3,000 years. And the birds' hunting prowess (and noble appearance) have made them an iconic symbol of divinity, royalty and military strength for millennia. The Egyptian Sun god, Ra, was portrayed as a man with a falcon's head.
The Danish Modernist falcon, shown above, was sculpted by Knud Kyhn for Royal Copenhagen. It is dated 1967. It captures the hunter in a moment of watchful rest.
This year marks the 30th anniversary year of LEO Design. And—in all that time—we have never participated in an antiques show. I guess that I have always rationalized that, since I pay so much rent (and I lived in a city of 8.5 million people), why should I schlepp heavy and delicate merchandise miles away to set-up a folding table in a booth? What could I achieve in a weekend in a booth that I couldn't achieve over a weekend in my Greenwich Village shop? Finally, a change! Today—in our Thirtieth Anniversary Year—I will exhibit in my first antique show ever! Deciding what to bring was the first big task. Then, packing it—smartly and compactly—came next. I intended to only...
Tomorrow is "the big day"—St. Valentine's Day. We're sharing some of our favorite "reds" this week. Perhaps one of them will make the perfect Valentine's Day gift for a much-deserving sweetheart? Wars have a way of defining and separating the aesthetic movements which flourished before and after the conflicts. After World War Two, the world was ready to move-on from the Art Deco which had characterized the period between the wars. Mid-Century Modernism would become the fresh, new look—a signal that the world was moving-on, into the future. Wars also have an impact on people, institutions and companies. What worked before (or during) a war, may not succeed once the conflict has concluded. Italica Ars was formed in 1948—just after...
When it comes to pottery, which factor is more important: form or glaze? In truth, both are consequential. But, if I were forced to choose only one of them, I would have to say that the glazing is most important. Form can be easily copied. A ceramicist can easily make a mould based upon the shape of another artist's finished piece. In fact, pottery factories would sometimes sell their discontinued moulds to competitors. Glazes, however, are much more difficult to decipher and control. A small variation in glaze ingredients, their application, kiln temperature, firing time, or cooling process can result in significant differences in outcome. And the process of figuring-out (and then duplicating) a new glaze is filled with numerous...
With St. Valentine's Day on the horizon, let's look at some of LEO Design's suitably-red offerings for the February holiday.
Shown above, a handsome West German Modernist jug-form vase by Töpferei Hartwig Heyne. The firm was founded in 1850, during the Prussian Empire, in Silesia—along the Polish border. After World War Two, much of Silesia was transferred to Poland under the terms of the Potsdam Agreement. At this point, Hartwig Heyne's descendants—Christine Heyne and her aunt, Meta—re-started the company as a smaller, studio pottery workshop in Oer-Erkenschwick, Western Germany. This move coincided with the emergent Modernist aesthetic, soon to become the most important interior design trend in the post-war West.
We end our exploration of America's Blues with this substantial and handsome Italian immigrant (make that "import")—a Bitossi ceramic ashtray. Bitossi family members had been active in ceramics-making—on the outskirts of Florence— since the time of the Renaissance. Like many ceramics legacies, they started by producing "utilitarian" objects: roofing tiles, floor tiles, architectural trim. In 1921, Guido Bitossi founded the ceramics workshop we know today, venturing into artistic, decorative objets used to decorate the home. After World War Two, the company began a new chapter under the artistic leadership of Aldo Londi (1911-2003). He executed and oversaw Bitossi's production of Modernist ceramics—perfectly timed to catch the big, post war decorating wave. Londi designed product himself; he also hired cutting edge...
In 1901, Grand Duke Friedrich II of Baden established a ceramics workshop in Karlsruhe—in the Southwest of Germany, along the French border. His aim was to promote craft and industry in the region. Over the years, the Majolika Manufaktur Karlsruhe produced quality works which represented the changing fashions of design: from the Art Nouveau, through Art Deco, to Bauhaus and Mid-Century Modern. One of their star designers was Friedegart Glatzle. She was born in 1920. After high school and technical (trade) school for ceramics, she was snapped-up by Karlsruhe upon graduation in 1951. Over a thirty year career with the company, she produced over 1200 moulds for Karlsruhe and was the leading design voice for the company. She also oversaw...
The color Petroleum Blue is a rather hard to pin-down precisely. An internet search suggests an overly broad range of bluish-greens. Furthermore, the name elicits a negative response in some—such are the environmental consequences of petroleum (especially when it has been spilled). But the color—which the Brits call Petrol Blue—is handsome, indeed. And the color did enjoy the embrace of shelter magazine hipsters five or six years ago. Broadly defined, petroleum blue is a blue-green with an emphasis on the blue. Perhaps the name poetically implies the elusive nature of the color—reminiscent of the unstable iridescence seen when petrol is spilled upon a floor or into a puddle of water. In any case, petroleum blue is a justifiably sophisticated and...
This week we've been sharing some of our handsome blue pieces—an attempt to brighten the national "blue mood" as a bitter frost assaults our country. Let's hope for a change in the weather.
The simplicity of the English Arts & Crafts vase, shown above, belies the technical and aesthetic beauty of the piece. The voluptuous shape seems to curve sensuously in all the right places. And the softly-dappled cobalt glazing is simultaneously simple and complex, at once soft and bold. The form and the glazing are satisfyingly executed—whether the vase is displayed alone or within a larger group of ceramics.
When it comes to wintery glazing effects, this French Art Nouveau vase is really the icing on the roof. It was made by la Faiencerie Héraldique Artistique de Pierrefonds in the Teens or Twenties. The workshop was founded by the Comte d'Arros, Olivier de Sorra—a painter who wanted to produce ceramic wares in the village of Pierrefonds (about 50 miles northeast of Paris). After a slow start—producing "heraldic stoneware" with noble French crests—he landed upon the Art Nouveau stoneware with exceptional glazes for which he would forever be remembered.
The form is a simple, classically-inspired pot—with two little bumps, suggesting "handles" upon the rounded shoulder. A snowy-grey underglaze allows the organic, dripping overglaze to really pop.
An ill wind sweeps across America. I've been shivering for days. Others have been burning-up. How do we survive such a national calamity? There is no easy answer to such a question. For me, one thing is true: I'm praying for a change in the weather. True, the times are blue. Yet, blue can be so beautiful. Over the next few days, we will be sharing part of our "Collection of Blue"—currently in-stock at the LEO Design on-line shop. Let's make the best of the melancholy. Shown above, a West German Modernist vase, made in the Sixties or Seventies. It is squat in form, with a "volcano-form" neck rising from its crisp shoulder. And it is glazed in a sublime...
The satin white finish on this Art Deco vase is wonderful to hold and behold. It was made by Abingdon Pottery in Knoxville, Illinois, in the Thirties of Forties. Like yesterday's featured Horsehead Bookends, this Abindgon vase was made of uber-durable vitreous china, is finely hand-finished, and has a creamy-smooth satin white glaze. (Please see yesterday's Journal entry for more about the Abingdon Pottery Company.)
The silhouette of the vase is of classic, Chnese high-shouldered form. A series of ribs encircle the base and simple, Greek Key fretwork circumscribes the neck. It is a handsome piece—whether standing alone or arranged within a grouping—and very useful for flowers (the constricted neck holds-together a small handful of flower stems).
These snowy white horse heads are bookends, nicely-sculpted and cast in highly-durable vitreous china by Abingdon Pottery (Knoxville, Illinois).
The Abingdon Sanitary Manufacturing Company was founded in 1908 and quickly gained a reputation for its beautifully-finished plumbing fixtures, made of ultra-durable vitreous china which was less susceptible to hairline cracking or chipping. In addition to superior (and expensive) clays, the company also spent a great deal of effort hand-finishing each sink, toilet, urinal, water fountain or bottled water dispenser. Abingdon was the first to introduce colored plumbing fixtures (in 1928) and were commissioned to provide all the plumbing fixtures for the Chicago World's Fair in 1933.
Is anything ever really new? In the arts and aesthetics (at least), not as often as one may think. Artists, in all times, have taken inspiration from other artists (and artworks) which have come before. Take the Thirties vase, made by Roseville (Ohio), shown above. Its form—the body of the vessel—is a Classical Greek amphora shape, a silhouette used for thousands of years. Add to that the Art Nouveau "whiplash" handles—an aesthetic which was popular three or more decades before this vase was made. On top of this, we can perceive a Modernist Art Deco sensibility in the piece, despite the Ancient and the Art Nouveau elements. Somehow, all the old elements have been re-combined (by a talented artist) to...
Imagine scatterings of crystalline snow—granulated like sugar—blanketing patches of an otherworldly, volcanic-pumice mountainscape. That's what I see with this West German Modernist "genie pitcher" by Carstens. Full of texture and complexity—all within a tight palette of black and white (which creates grey). The Carstens family has a long history of ceramics-making, having operated workshops in Germany since the Nineteenth Century. Things really came to a boil during the early Twentieth Century, when Christian Carstens—along with his sons, Christian and Ernst—expanded the company broadly, buying smaller factories and setting-up new workshops. The company produced a wide range of porcelain, earthenwares and "sanitary ware" (that is, ceramic plumbing fixtures like water fountains, toilets and urinals) and was a top player in the...
Newly-fallen snow can look so pristine, so perfect. In fact, after a fresh snowfall, I often try to limit my footsteps to the same narrow path along the edge of my driveway—an attempt to maintain the largest possible blanket of snowy perfection. But such perfection is fleeting. (Perhaps a metaphor for life.) In time, the snow melts, wild animals scamper, and—sooner or later—I need to drive my car down the driveway. The brilliant white gradually becomes brown; the melting snow turns to slush and the earth below begins to dapple the winter white. What was once a lovely improvement has become a messy blight. (Perhaps a metaphor for life.) But that, too, shall pass: with the rising temperature, the slush...
This creamy, satin glaze is reminiscent of a bank of snow. Shown above, an Art Deco ashtray made in the Thirties by Keith Murray for Josiah Wedgwood, Stoke-on-Trent, England. Keith Murray had a fascinating life—and he's one of the pillars of British Art Deco Modernism and industrial design. He was an architect, aviator, ceramicist, silversmith, and glass designer. Murray was born in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1892. He began his working life as a draughtsman for an Auckland architectural firm. His side passion was the pioneering field of amateur aviation and he was an officer in the Aero Club of New Zealand. When World War One began, Murray joined the English RAF and was deployed as a pilot in...
While we're blanketed by snow, let us feature a few handsome pieces which channel the Winter's temperament.
Shown here, a West German Modernist vase by Ceramano (located in Ransbach-Baumbach, Germany, about 55 miles Northwest of Frankfurt). The workshop was founded in 1954 by Jakob Schwaderlapp, the same man who previously had established Jasba (in 1926). Jasba had always been a mass production-oriented operation, utilizing less artisan handwork (per piece) and generating a high volume of affordable output. After World War II, with the boom of post war Modernism, Schwaderlapp launched a new workshop in order to bridge the gap between expensive, high-touch studio production and the less expensive (but commonplace) mass production. Ceramano was the result of this mission.
For some, January Sixth is a holy day: The Feast of the Epiphany. Theologically, it represents the moment when the Christ Child's divinity was recognized by the greater world (represented in the form of the three foreign Magi). The word, Epiphany, derives from the ancient Koine Greek "epipháneia," meaning "manifestation" or "appearance." The Epiphany is observed by most Christian denominations, though the date may vary based on the calendar system each particular denomination uses. For some Christians, Epiphany celebrations are bigger than those of Christmas. And the name, Epiphany, may be called "Theophany," "Three Kings' Day" or "Little Christmas."
We finish our Winter Ablution with this forward-thinking creation. Even by today's standards—some ninety years after it was made—this piece still radiates Futurism. In the Thirties, space travel was still a dream. But all sorts of people—scientists, writers, artists—projected us into their imagined worlds of the extraterrestrial. Three decades later, in the Sixties, space travel finally was realized. Yet somehow, to me, those earlier, romantic notions of the future will always be a little more beautiful, dreamy and fantastical than the reality which followed. I suppose that artful conceptions are not limited by the realities of physics. And the Sixties Space Age was an exciting time. But I still prefer the Tomorrowland of the Utopian Future. The two-handled "flying...
Let's continue our "clean start" to the New Year—with another piece of clean, matte white pottery from the Thirties. Shown here, a "paneled" Art Deco bowl finished in a satiny matte white. It was made by Roseville (at this point located in Zanesville, Ohio).
There's something about matte white pottery. It is fresh, elegant, immaculate. And the white coloration allows the form of the piece to shine-through without distraction. Of course, a collection of pieces—within a palette of whites—makes for a stunning (and clean) presentation in nearly any interior aesthetic. This smallish, compact piece would provide excellent punctuation along the front row of the assemblage.
Wishing all a Happy New Year of health, love and contentment. And a heartfelt Thank You to all who supported LEO Design in the previous year. Most years, I trot towards the New Year with optimism and gratitude—grateful for the fresh start, happy for a new beginning. Perhaps it's the turning of the Filofax, with its new pages so fresh and clean. Or could it be the cold, clear freeze—which has eliminated all traces of the previous season? No, not this year. Unlike in years past, I feel as though I'm being pushed unwillingly into this new year, forced into a new and dangerous era. But Time and Tide Wait for No Man. None of us can stop the clock. So here...
Wishing all—customers, friends, family, employees old and new—a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a New Year of health and happiness. Thank you for your support of LEO Design this year! I hope our paths cross in 2025.
Guests for the Holidays? Help keep their toothbrushes tidy with this Victorian English ironstone toothbrush caddy, made in the 1880's. The maker was Edge, Malkin & Company in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England (the region of much Nineteenth-Century British ceramics production). The transfer pattern is called "Dacca," named after the Colonial Indian city (now Dhaka, Bangladesh). More broadly, the Dacca pattern satisfied the Western taste for Asian-inspired decor, especially in ceramics. The pattern fits squarely within the Aesthetic Movement of the Late Nineteenth Century. Ironstone is a type of pottery developed in England in the 1810's. It was a durable, hard-wearing, cheaper alternative to fine porcelain—suitable for mass production and ideal for decorating through transfer printing. Transfer printing, first developed in the...
Today—at precisely 4:21 am Eastern Time—the Northern Hemisphere experiences the Winter Solstice. For those of us living above the Equator, 4:21 am is the moment of the year when the Northern Hemisphere will be tilted its farthest distance from the Sun. Today we'll see the shortest amount of daylight of the year, the longest amount of night, and it will be the first day of Winter. (In the Southern Hemisphere, today will be the longest day of the year, the shortest night, and the first day of Summer.) The best news: starting tomorrow, each consecutive day's period of daylight will be increasingly longer and longer.
In the home furnishings industry—and in the decorative arts—the term "Transitional" is a convenient "safety word" to describe a piece which has the characteristics of two (or more) consecutive schools of design. It's often true that transitional pieces were created on the cusp of two significant, distinct movements. The vase above presents a good bit of Modernism (which was en vogue at the time it was made) and a little bit of Art Deco (from its recent past). To me, it is reminiscent of a softened version of Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim Museum in New York. Like the building, the vase's "stacked," graduated segments get larger toward the top of the vase. Wright's museum was finished in 1959, after 15 years...
Tonight is All Hallows' Eve—more popularly called Hallowe'en—the first day of the Allhallowtide "triduum." Allhallowtide consists of three days: Hallowe'en, All Hallows' Day (also called All Saints' Day) and All Souls' Day. Essentially, Hallowe'en is the vigil, the night before the Holy Day of All Saints' Day (1 November). On All Saints' Day, all the saints are commemorated—both those whom we can name and those we do not know. 2 November is All Souls' Day—the day when all the faithful departed are commemorated. Since the early days of the Christian Church, various locales celebrated varying days for the commemoration of Christian martyrs. Later, this celebration was broadened to honor all the saints (martyred or not). In the Seventh Century, this celebration was expanded throughout...
Today is the First Day of Autumn. More specifically, it is the Autumnal Equinox. "Equinox" means "Equal Night." During an Equinox, the night and day are (roughly) of equal length. As we all know, the Earth rotates upon a central axis which tilts toward and away from the Sun (with the seasons). On the Equinox, the Earth's axis is perfectly aligned with the Sun—which places the Sun directly over the Equator. Today's Equinox (at precisely 8:43 am) marks the start of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and the start of Spring in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, each day's length of sunlight has been getting shorter since the Summer Solstice of June 20th. Now, after the Autumnal Equinox, each day will...
"Summer afternoon, summer afternoon;
to me, those have always been the two
most beautiful words in the English language."
- Henry James
Yes, summer afternoons can be wonderful. Yet, alas, all good things must come to an end—including summer afternoons. Today, Saturday 21 September, will be our final summer afternoon until next year. Autumn will begin tomorrow morning.
Perhaps the two-handled vase, shown above, will serve as a reminder of endless, late-Summer afternoons. Though it was made in Mid-Century Germany, after World War Two, it clearly was inspired by Country French or Italian ceramics—perhaps a vase from Provence or Tuscany.
In the West, Friday the Thirteenth is perceived as an unlucky day. It seems that this idea became widely popular in Nineteenth Century France. The earliest written reference to unlucky Friday the Thirteenth is a line in the 1834 play, Les Finesses des Gribouilles: "I was born on a Friday, December 13th 1813, from which come all of my misfortunes." That same year, the Marquis de Salvo wrote in the Revue de Paris about a Sicilian count who had killed his daughter on a Friday the Thirteenth. "It is always Fridays and the number Thirteen which bring bad luck." In America, it was T. W. Lawson's book, Friday, the Thirteenth (1907), which popularized the superstition on this side of the...
Happy Labor Day to the talented workers who—with the talent of their hands and the sweat of their brows—make our lives better and more beautiful. May they always be cherished and rewarded.
Shown above, a Danish Modernist stoneware tile—with deep bas relief sculpting—which portrays a blacksmith, hard at work at a hot forge. It was sculpted by Karl Otto Johansen for Danish ceramics workshop Bing & Grøndahl. It could be installed permanently within a larger tiling project or it can hang on the wall—all by itself—using the hanging grommet on the back of the tile.
211 days until Saint Paddy's Day! Thus, what better time to share this handsome Irish ceramic bowl, made in the Sixties. Modernist, indeed, but decorated with fascinatingly ancient (and timeless) Irish Celtic knots. This bowl was made by Wade (an English ceramics company) in its Irish workshop which opened in 1946 (in Ulster, Northern Ireland). The designer was James Borsey (1920-1977). The line, called "Celtic Kells," was comprised of six different pieces and was inspired by decoration in the illuminated manuscript, The Book of Kells (c. 800), which can now be seen in the Trinity College Library, Dublin. This line was made in very limited production runs—and only for a couple of years in the Sixties. Much of the production was...
There is a fine line between a feline's sense of play and her instinct to hunt. Cats—of every size, shape and variety—are known to be stone-cold killers. For this reason, keepers of house cats are strongly encouraged to keep their charges indoors all the time (for the sake of the billions of birds killed by American cats each year). When playing with a cat—with a laser pointer, a string, a paper bag or a retractable mouse—it is clear that her skill as a huntress is tied to her sense of play. Is your cat trying to "kill" her catnip mouse? Or is she only playing with the lizard in the backyard? (And why does she so often drop her "trophy" at...
Is there any greater luxury than an afternoon nap? Even if you're too busy to indulge in such a pleasure, you might enjoy watching this little kitty, curled-up, enjoying forty winks. He is made of stoneware, finished with a thick and curdled mocha-caramel glaze. He will happily serve as a little paperweight. Or be content to just lie-around, perhaps on the windowsill, making the place even homier.
Are humans naturally drawn to Authoritarianism? Or, rather, do people yearn to live free? For centuries, historians and philosophers have studied various peoples living under monarchs, dictators and thugs. Why do some people prefer "to just let Daddy take over"? In 2024, we still do not know this answer.
Throughout history, there have been moments of people standing up to overwhelming Authoritarianism. Most of these moments have been bloody, deadly, and have spawned unpredictable results. Ultimately, history will be the judge of whether these revolutionaries are labeled "Patriots" or "Criminals." Remember: the winners write the history.
Welcome, July, and your handsome birthstone, the ruby! Rubies have always been amongst the most precious of "cardinal" gemstones—along with diamonds, emeralds and sapphires. In fact, rubies and sapphires are just different colors of the same stone: Corundum. This clear, hard stone is principally aluminum oxide. Different metallic "impurities" give the stone its different colorations. In the case of rubies, chromium is the impurity which makes it red. Corundum becomes blue (a sapphire) due to iron and titanium impurities. Both rubies and sapphires are very hard (which measure 9 on the Mohs Scale); only diamonds (with a hardness of 10) and moissanite (9.5) are harder. The most beautiful, valuable stones are used for jewelry. Lesser examples are used for watch...
I cannot help but think of the Sun when I look at this cheery, Bavarian Jugendstil porcelain vase. A handsome Art Nouveau floral pattern peeks through the gilt glazing. It was made by Graf & Krippner in Bavarian Selb—in Germany, along the Czech border. Having been created so close to the Austro-Hungarian border helps explain the "Viennese aesthetic attitude" of the vase. The mark indicates it was made in the company's earliest years, 1906 to 1911. Selb is famous for its porcelain manufacture and is the headquarters of the Rosenthal manufactory. While the piece can be used to hold a stem or two, this vase is perfect for standing as punctuation within a collection of gold ceramics or glassware.
Today, at 4:50 pm, Summer will have officially begun. Today is also the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year—that is, in the Northern Hemisphere. It's the shortest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere. As every schoolchild learns, the Earth spins on a vertical axis, an axis which tilts back-and-forth over the course of the year. On the day of the Summer Solstice, the North Pole (that is, the Northern axis), is tipped as close to the Sun as it will get. Thus, today, the Northern Hemisphere is receiving maximum Sun exposure (and the maximum number of hours of sunlight). Starting tomorrow, the axis will begin to slowly tip-back, away from the Sun, and the days' periods...
June is here—with her flower, the Rose.
Roses have grown in the wild for tens of millions of years. 50-million-year-old rose fossils from the Eocene Period (which means, roughly, "The New Dawn") have been uncovered by archaeologists in Colorado. Roses are depicted in Minoan art (circa 1400 BC) and in Egyptian tomb paintings shortly thereafter. And ornamental roses are known to have been cultivated by the Chinese, Persians and Mediterraneans from about 500 BC. There are over 300 different species of natural roses and tens-of-thousands of man-made "cultivars" (that is, special varieties of roses purposely bred to accentuate selected traits like color, size, fragrance, form or hardiness).
This is a French lemonade pitcher with a twist. The porcelain form—jug, spout, handle—was made in Limoges, France, fired with the classic, smoothly-finished porcelain surface. Then it was shipped to Chicago, USA, as a "blank," to be hand-decorated by American artisans. The piece was made by Tressemanes & Vogt (in Limoges) and hand-painted by the Jacob Stouffer Company (in Chicago). This arrangement was sometimes orchestrated by ceramics makers in order to create variety of the end product—to create products which would appeal best to the end consumer. It also allowed a company like Stouffer (which specialized in excellent ceramic painters) to avoid having to manufacture their own blanks (a whole separate area of expertise). Stouffer could purchase (more economically) higher-quality...
It's "Star Wars Day"! May the Fourth be with You!
I have always been attracted to otherworldly, "planetary" ceramics glazes—dappled, lunar, extraterrestrial finishes, reminiscent of foreign planets (real or imagined). What they lack in bright color, they provide amply in texture and sophistication. I keep a collection of them displayed together (most to be found in the LEO Design on-line store) and enjoy the bold impact of contrasting shapes and organic surface patterns.
The German Modernist vase shown above, made in the Sixties or Seventies by Emons & Söhne, wears a dappled grey glaze over a chocolate brown under-color. It reminds me of the planet Mercury or some yet-to-be-discovered moon.
In many parts of the world, May First is "May Day"—a day to honor laborers, those people who make their livings with their hands and bodies. Strangely, the notion of celebrating workers strikes some Americans with suspicion. Are these people afraid that workers will take over the government? Form unions? Ask for a raise? I have great respect for workers because they are (usually) craftsmen—people who have learned to build or fix things with their hands. Is a woodcarver's artful creation any more beautiful than the best work of a master cabinet maker? A superb painter? An exacting boiler installer? What about a tailor? A cook? A barber? Technical skills, fastidiousness and good taste serve all the trades (and craftsmen)...
Among the first Arts & Crafts antique pieces I purchased for my store was a piece of matte green ceramics. It was an extra-large jardiniere and it sold right away—in the first couple of days of business. Since then, I've had a particular fondness for matte green pottery. It has such a wonderful, natural, organic look. When displayed on wood, it is reminiscent of the leaves on a branch. I find the color and the finish restful.
While watching The Graduate for the umpteenth time, I was reminded just how popular (and chic) Black & White interiors were in Mid-Century America. When I was a young boy, we had an ultra stylish neighbor down the street. One of the neighborhood kids informed me that she was a divorcée. Her daughter was a classmate and, on rare occasion, I was invited into their house. Her mother had decorated much of the house—including the living room (which we were never allowed to enter)—in Mid-Century Modern Black and White. Somehow, I began to associate Black & White interiors with "fast living" (whatever that meant to an eight year old boy). This notion was confirmed, years later, the first time I saw The...
Today is Palm Sunday—the day on which Christians commemorate the final week, hours, and moments of Christ's life on Earth. What starts with Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem ends with betrayal, brutal torture, execution and burial in a tomb. Of course, to Christians (mournful as this is), this final "Passion" is the unavoidable pathway to Christ's death and resurrection. Palms—especially palm branches—have enormous significance throughout the Middle East and around the Mediterranean. Of course, the date palm was an important source of sustenance in this hot and arid region: food, shade, and useful materials. The palm branch was sacred to Mesopotamians (c. 6000 BC), symbolized immortality to the Ancient Egyptians, and represented victory to the Ancient Greeks and the Romans....
A Satyr is the Greek mythological "nature spirit"—bestial, feral, sexually insatiable. Called Sátyros by the Greeks, they were semi-divine, often found accompanying Dionysius, the god of wine, music and randy living. Satyrs lived in the wild—in forests or in the mountains—were always male and they were "perpetually tumescent." These tricksters would interact with humans to make mischief or to seduce them. Satyrs have been portrayed in evolving ways: originally as a man with a horse's legs and ears; later more typically human; and, eventually, a man with the legs and ears of a goat. When Greek mythology started to inform and blend with Roman mythology, the satyr seems to have been conflated with Pan (a faun). It was during the Roman...
Pilkington Royal Lancastrian employed several notable ceramics designers and decorators including Charles Voysey, Walter Crane, Richard Joyce, Gordon Forsyth and Gwladys Rodgers. The artist with the longest career at Pilkington was William Salter Mycock. In fact, his years at Pilkington spanned the lifetime of art pottery production for the company.
William Mycock was born in 1872. His earliest working years were as a freelance "jobber" decorating pottery for various firms in the region. He also painted ceramics at Wedgwood while taking art courses at night. Mycock joined Pilkington in 1894, two short years after the company was founded. At this point, he was decorating Pilkington's ceramic tiles (the company's first product).
Much of the time, Art Deco styling is expressed with streamlined shapes, sharp edges and dynamic color combinations. Art Deco was Modern, Futuristic, Ready-for-the-Space-Age. Rocket ships and airplanes symbolized this fast and forceful promise. And Art Deco was wildly popular—incorporated into all manner of design, from architecture to toaster plugs.
This vocabulary of Art Deco crispness certainly was employed in British design. But, over the years, I've noticed a distinct and specific version of English Art Deco—a sub category—which is a little gentler, a little rounder, a little more subtle than its typical American sibling. In this English variety, designers "softened" the typically crisp Art Deco features.
In the Nineteenth Century, imported Chinese ceramics were all the rage in Europe (especially England). But these costly treasures were beyond the reach of all but the wealthiest collectors. British ceramics workshops began to make goods "in the Oriental style," for the domestic market. Rarely were these pieces authentic. In fact, they were usually over-the-top. And they almost never reached the quality of true Chinese ceramics in form, glaze or handcraft. But they did allow customers of modest means to acquire a small dash of far-away style—a taste of someplace exotic, on the other side of the world, which they could never enjoy visiting in-person.
The town of Poole, in the county of Dorset, lies along the Southern seacoast of England. In 1873, Jesse Carter purchased an existing "tile manufactory" along the quay (British English for "dock" or "pier"). Around the Turn-of-the-Twentieth-Century, the workshop started making art pottery wares in the Art Nouveau style. After WWI, Poole (still called Carter, Stabler & Adams) embraced jazz-age Art Deco. Around this time, Poole also formed a creative alliance with members of the Bloomsbury Group including Duncan Grant, Roger Fry and Vanessa Bell (Virginia Woolf's sister). Designs evolved into Post-War Modernism after WWII. During all this time, the factory continued to make ceramic tiles. In fact, Poole supplied much of the ceramic tiling for London Tube stations in...
British ceramicist Edward Thomas Radford (born 1860) was a master of wheel-thrown pottery. He began his career at Wedgwood, followed by stints at Linthorpe, Burmantofts, Doulton, then back to Wedgwood. He was recruited to a new pottery company, Pilkington, in 1903 (it began making pottery in 1904) and he stayed here for the rest of his career. Radford retired in 1936 and Pilkington discontinued art pottery in 1938 (though its ceramic tile manufacturing continued). Radford was a star at Pilkington. He could throw monstrously-sized pots or the tiniest of pieces (only 1.5 inches tall). And he could throw a pot and then fashion a perfectly-fitting lid by eye (and hand) alone. Although many of the pieces at Pilkington were cast,...
This vase, probably English or French, ticks a couple of Nineteenth Century boxes: Asian Style and Darwinian Intrigue. Both of these dynamics were at play in the minds of Late Nineteenth Century Europeans. First, there was the Western fascination with "Oriental" art and design—especially Asian style as embodied by Chinese ceramics (which 95% of Europeans could not afford). For a few centuries, Western traders had been crossing vast seas, buying and selling with China, Japan and Southeast Asia. Chinese ceramics were an important (and valuable) part of this trading mix. The Chinese had mastered ceramics production techniques which blew the minds of the Europeans (this despite their fairly primitive kilns and other equipment). Red glazes (including oxblood, as shown in...
Welcome, March, and your flower, the glorious Daffodil.
Is there any flower more hopeful, more optimistic, than the daffodil? It emerges during the chilly bleakness of winter—a sunny, bright, resilient reminder of beautiful days to come. Quite often, it is the only spot of color in an otherwise grey landscape. And what a color it is!
The Stangl Art Deco vase, shown above, is dressed in a saturated daffodil yellow glaze. The vase's form is inspired by a Classical Greek or Roman urn, embellished with a pair of foliate handles—which honor both the ancient aesthetic and the modernism of the Art Deco. And the rich yellow color practically vibrates with sunny optimism.
Green is my favorite color of pottery. The reason? Perhaps because I really love wood—boxes, furniture, paneling, cabinetry—and what looks better with wood (trees) than leaves and grass (green)? I find the color green (at least most shades) calming, centering. Green relaxes me. It's the color of nature herself. And the deeper the green, the more I like it.
The Übelacker West German Modernist jug, shown above, is a home run! The earthy, green glaze, for starters, is deep, deep, deep—and just this side of muddy (without being drab). Plus, the glaze is a matte finish—another few points in its favor.
In nature, some of the cutest and cuddliest creatures can grow-up to become most fearsome—and dangerous. This Soviet porcelain bear cub might just be one such critter. The sculpture was made in the Sixties or Seventies in the Soviet Union. The symbol of the Russian Bear is an old one—at least from the 1500's. In the West, the symbolism is sometimes interpreted disparagingly: bears can be hulking, awkward and savage. Unpredictable and dangerous. But in Russia (and the Soviet Union before that), the bear has been a symbol of national pride: strength, fortitude, power. The earliest recorded use of the symbol is in Shakespeare's Macbeth (who says to the ghost, "What man dare, I dare. Approach thou like the rugged Russian...
A few weeks ago, a British (Dutch-born) ceramics collector contacted me about my James Plant ceramics offerings, which he had seen on-line. He is writing a book on the influence of Gouda (Dutch) pottery on English ceramics design. James Plant's "Orientalist" wares—while they certainly have their own distinctive aesthetic—do share a similarity with Gouda's hand-painted pieces. He asked for more photos of my pieces and my permission to use my photos in his forthcoming book. I was happy to help—and happy to have acquired new-found motivation to re-shoot the photos of the two pieces (which had never been well-lit in their original photos).
The history of James Plant & Sons English ceramics is, shall we say, "contested." Although the vase designs and decoration are firmly rooted in the 19th Century—Christopher Dresser-inspired shapes, hand-painted "Persian Orientalist" decoration, and an 1890's Aesthetic Movement attitude—certain English collectors contend that such wares were created during World War I, when Liberty of London sought to find a replacement source for Gouda-type (Dutch) ceramics (which could no longer be imported, due to the war).
Here's what we do know about James Plant & Sons. There are records of multiple "James Plants" working in and around Hanley, England—the heart of "The Potteries," Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
A most handsome vase has "swum" our way: an English Art Deco beauty by Pilkington Royal Lancastrian. A repeating pattern—three carp-like species riding atop scrolling waves—is incised upon the body of the vase. A mottled orange and yellow "uranium" glaze pops against an earthy "kelp brown" background. This vase was made in the Twenties or Thirties, just outside of Manchester, England. It has enough presence to hold-its-own as a statement piece. And yet, I must admit, it does look good featured against a collection of other Royal Lancastrian pieces.
The Peregrine Falcon has been capturing mankind's imagination for millennia. The Ancient Egyptians depicted their sun god, Ra, as having the body of a man and the head of the peregrine. And, for at least 3,000 years, people have been practicing falconry—the sport of training domesticated falcons to capture prey and return to their master. Peregrine Falcons are superb hunters. They are eager, agile, adaptable and oh-so-fast. Peregrines have been clocked at speeds of 242 mph while in "dive mode"—making them the fastest animal on Earth. First they fly to an altitude over 3,500 feet, after which they rocket downwards toward their prey. They tuck-in their heads, pull-in their wings, and contort their bodies for maximum aerodynamics. Even at these speeds,...
In the world of ceramics, I have always treasured wonderful glazes—even more than I value form. A great form, once sculpted, can be duplicated endlessly. And, in many cases, form is easy for someone else to copy. Art pottery companies in the Twentieth Century would frequently sell their old moulds—or their employees would be hired-away by competing firms. After the Coca-Cola bottle was design in 1915, it was produced in the millions (billions?) for worldwide distribution—and has become an iconic feature of the global Coca-Cola brand. But no artistry or reinvention is necessary to keep that wonderful form in the marketplace (besides aggressive lawyers who guard vigorously the bottle's trademarked shape).
Let's end our parade of wintery pottery back in Pierrefonds, France—back in the shadows of the Medieval Chateau de Pierrefonds. It was here that Art Nouveau forms were dressed in sophisticated crystalline glazes, resulting in works which are unlike anything seen before or since. The French Art Nouveau vase, shown above, has an organic, egg-form body. It sits on a "platform foot" and is punctuated with two peaked, "bat wing" whiplash handles. As wonderful (and striking) as the form itself is, it's the sublime glaze that really takes this urn over the top. Multiple colors—blues, tans, greens—drip casually over the curved body of the vessel. Some of the glazes have crystallized in the kiln. And, because the vase wears a...
The English ceramic pot shown above, hand-thrown by Edward Thomas Radford for Pilkington Royal Lancastrian, is finished with a gorgeous, sky blue glaze. And, if one looks carefully, one will see that the blue glazing displays the subtlest of ombre effects—slightly lighter at the top, slightly darker at the base—not unlike the graduations of color to be found in the actual winter sky. You also still can see (and feel) the delicate fingermarks on the sides of the vessel, left by the potter himself, on the day the pot was formed upon its spinning wheel. A vase like this can be used to display a striking, minimalist floral arrangement—think three sculptural stems. It would also look good with a full,...
Even in the coldest of weather, the ocean seems to remain liquified—at least as far north as I've ever traveled (New England). It's plenty cold, indeed, yet the waves continue to wash ashore and its salty foam bubbles, churns and slowly recedes back to the sea. This West German Modernist carafe-form vase is glazed in a sea-worthy blue, topped with a dripping, tempest-tossed white foam. The corseted neck of the vase provides a constricted opening at top—perfect for gathering a modest number of stems together, nice-and-tight. And the blue (and white) coloration provides a fresh backdrop for any manner of flowers: white carnations, yellow roses, green hydrangeas.
We hop back to England, Stoke-on-Trent, to be specific. This conglomeration of six small towns in Staffordshire, England, was Ground Zero of British ceramics production in the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries. The region was frequently referred to as "The Potteries." Clay could be dug out of the ground. Coal was plentiful. Labor was cheap. And the region's glut of manufacturing ensured that train service (for shipping-out merchandise) was frequent and efficient. The George Clews pottery company was founded in 1906 in one of Stoke's towns, Burslem. In 1908, they moved to bigger facilities in the adjacent town of Tunstall. Although the company was named after the Clews family patriarch, George, the organization was actually run by his son, Percy Swinnerton Clews...
Saturated blue glazes drip organically down the bold, two-handled form of this French Art Nouveau urn from the early Twentieth Century. It was made in the French village of Pierrefonds—some 55 miles North-East of Paris—in the shadow of the village's Medieval castle, Le Chateau de Pierrefonds. The deep blue glazes convey an ice-cold mien, perfect for the frozen, clean winter weather. The Pierrefonds pottery workshop was opened by a painter, a French nobleman, Comte Hallez d"Arros in 1903. He envisioned producing handsome tableware—plates, bowls, pitchers—painted with fancy aristocratic heraldry: shields, banners, noble crests. The village's castle, he thought, would be a perfect backdrop to such a romantic and aspirational product line. And the pottery's name, La Societe Faienciere Heraldique de Pierrefonds,...
This smallish vase—perfect for a stem or three—reminds me of a heavily clouded winter sky. Tightly-packed, fluffy clouds allow a bit of icy blue to peek-through. Or, perhaps, it looks like compressed ice on the surface of a frozen pond. As the water freezes and melts and freezes again, a dappled, irregular pattern emerges. The piece was made by Jopeko in West Germany in the Sixties or Seventies. Jopeko began its life, under a different name, in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Like so many Twentieth Century potteries, its earliest output was "sanitary ware"—pipes, crocks, kitchenware and water coolers—not fancy decorative objets. But, after World War II, Germany (and Japan, another "vanquished" country) found that it had a large labor force to put...
Like a midnight sky, this West German vase is a play on shades of blue: inky, blackish blue with eerie streaks of penetrating brightness. It displays a simple—yet satisfyingly sensual—organic form and wears a random drip glaze which adds to its one-of-a-kind appearance. As the glaze courses over the soft curves of the vase, it creates an object filled with dynamism and movement and complexity. The ceramicist is Fridegart Glaztle who had a long and consequential career at the Karlsruhe West German ceramics studio. The Karlsruhe ceramics factory was founded at the Turn-of-the-Twentieth-Century to produce ceramics in the Italian Renaissance style. It underwent several changes of owners over the years, including private ownership by Villeroy & Boch and being state-run...
An icy season calls for an icy glaze. This handsome piece by Fulper (c. 1905, Flemington, New Jersey) is glazed in an organic Impressionist Winterscape of lustrous and crystalline glazes—frosty blues and just a hint of green. Think of a frozen, icy rock face or the hard, shiny surface of an icebound lake. Fulper was one of the true "art pottery" workshops in America during the Arts & Crafts period, attempting to emulate the coveted "Oriental" glazes which had eluded Western potters. Although the company had started its life (in the Nineteenth Century) by making utilitarian wares, by the Turn-of-the-Twenieth-Century, Fulper was hiring skilled artists and technicians to produce quality, expensive art pottery. Part of this high-minded mission may account for...
In France, where wine has been a traditional part of lunches and dinners, it was not unusual to serve table wine casually, decanted into a ceramic wine pitcher. French table wine, though delicious, is a bit lighter, of lower alcohol content, and not expensive (making it perfect for lunchtime or afternoon consumption). The size of the jug might be large or small—depending on the number of guests at table. Such wine pitchers might be found in either private homes or in taverns. Shown above, a small wine pitcher which might hold a couple of modest servings (or if planning ahead, provide a couple of top-offs). Using a pitcher not only allowed the wine to "breathe," it also added a touch...
The Winter's Chill—bitter though it is—brings with it a sense of freshness, cleanliness, purity. The color white often symbolizes a snowy, cold expanse. But I also feel that blue—the color of sky, water and ice—can express beautifully the cleansing wintry freeze. For the next few days, we'd like to present an array of handsome blue ceramics, from many different countries, which might bring a little beauty to this otherwise frosty season. In 1889, brothers Edward and Alfred Pilkington were in the coal business. One of their new, prospective mining sites, in Clifton—on the outskirts of Manchester—proved to be a bust. Sited alongside Fletcher's Canal, the mineshafts only produced water and clay. But this clay was perfect for making decorative tiles...
Here's another handsome milk pitcher, this one made by the Robinson-Ransbottom Pottery Company in the Teens or Twenties. It is called "yelloware"—a country kitchen staple material for plates, bowls, crocks, and other utilitarian objets. Bas relief flowers and strapping add a bit of decoration to the otherwise simple vessel. The company was founded in 1900, in Roseville, Ohio, by Frank Ransbottom and his brothers, Ed, Johnie and Mort. The town of Roseville was a center of ceramics production and Frank had experience working with other ceramics manufacturers in the region. When a pottery factory became available for sale, Frank and his brothers purchased it. By World War II, the Ransbottoms were the largest producers of stoneware crocks and jars in the...
It's the week between Christmas and the New Year. Time for relaxing at home; perhaps nice family breakfasts are in order? If so, consider this little pitcher. It holds up to 16 ounces of milk, or cream, and is decorated with the heads of a cow (on one side) and a bull (on the other side). It also would be terrific for serving warm maple syrup for pancakes or waffles. The jug has a "country primitive" look. And the dripping, organic glazes—blue, brown and green—is reminiscent of majolica (although true majolica is always uses a tin glaze, which I am not sure this glaze is). This piece is similar to ceramics from Bennington, Vermont, though I have not been able...
