Women in Art Pottery

5 artifacts in this set

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Notable women transformed the popular pastime of china painting into a profession during the late nineteenth century. They developed new tools and techniques, created associations, and taught others the art of china painting. Some went on to establish their own innovative potteries, ultimately giving rise to a new industry: art pottery. These artifacts highlight some remarkable stories of women in art pottery.

Notable women transformed the popular pastime of china painting into a profession during the late nineteenth century. They developed new tools and techniques, created associations, and taught others the art of china painting. Some went on to establish their own innovative potteries, ultimately giving rise to a new industry: art pottery. These artifacts highlight some remarkable stories of women in art pottery.

Detailed Description

Mug, 1894

Mug (Cup)

Maria Longworth Nichols (1849-1932) founded Rookwood Pottery--essentially the first commercial art pottery company in America--in Cincinnati in 1880. She hired talented young women (who would not have had opportunities elsewhere) as well as men to create innovative ceramic wares. Pioneering imagery and glazes made Rookwood famous and helped establish the look of art pottery. A woman named Olga Reed (b. 1873) decorated this Rookwood mug.

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Vase, 1917

Vase

Lenore Asbury (1866-1933) exemplified the young women who found new livelihoods in art pottery. Like many decorators, she trained at the Cincinnati Art Academy before joining Rookwood Pottery. Asbury worked in a range of styles and glazes. This vase shows her use of Rookwood's signature "vellum" glaze, featuring a light-colored background on which pictorial landscapes and flowers appeared almost like a painting.

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Tried by Fire: A Work on China Painting, 1886

Book

Susan Frackelton (1848–1932) published one of the most influential china painting manuals, Tried by Fire, in 1886. She operated a ceramic academy and studio in Milwaukee, developed and patented a new kiln design, and established a national ceramic art association. Frackelton, one of the most admired female artists of her time, tirelessly promoted the art pottery movement, helping to broaden the role of women in American society.

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Doorknob, 1903-1928

Doorknob

Adelaide Alsop Robineau (1865–1929) published and edited Keramic Studio, "a monthly magazine for the china painter and potter," and operated a studio and ceramic school adjacent to her home in Syracuse. Robineau is regarded as one of the most important figures in American art pottery. This is a small example of her now famous body of work.

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Tile, 1920-1930

Tile (Object genre)

Mary Chase Perry (1867-1961) founded Detroit's renowned Pewabic Pottery. Pewabic became famous for the unique glazes Perry developed, and its architectural tiles can still be found in museums, libraries, churches, schools, and private dwellings across the country. The pottery was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991.

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