China Painting

China painters were amateur artists. They would take a "blank"--a piece of fired, undecorated, white porcelain such as a salt or pepper shaker--and paint over the glaze.

Specialty stores sold blanks and other china painting supplies. A woman who wanted to learn about china painting could pick up an instructional manual like this one, purchase the blanks and paints of her choice, and start painting her own china.

Susan Frackelton's Tried by Fire was one the most influential manuals used by women interested in china painting in the late 19th century. Frackelton and other prominent leaders in the field of women's china painting ultimately transformed a pastime into a profession.

The amateur artist who painted this pitcher may have referenced botanical patterns printed in Susan Frackelton's Tried by Fire or another china painting manual.

The Henry Ford's collections include a full set of china decorated by a young woman who took a china painting class while attending Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University) in Lansing, Michigan. This plate features one of the patterns she practiced.

In preparation for her 1912 wedding, recent college graduate Helen Marie Eichele purchased a set of blank china at the prominent L.B. King & Co. store in Detroit. Friends helped paint some of the pieces, including this soup bowl and saucer.

China painting peaked around 1900, but it remained a major feature of American women's lives through the first World War. Importantly, the pastime of china painting gave rise to a new industry: art pottery. Through the first three decades of the 20th century, art pottery was considered a must in any well-furnished home. Painted china still fills china cabinets, exemplifying the aesthetic of an earlier generation.