pitcher, United States Pottery Company

Artwork Overview

United States Pottery Company, pitcher
United States Pottery Company, pitcher
United States Pottery Company
pitcher
1853–1858
United States Pottery Company
active 1847–1858
pitcher, 1853–1858
Where object was made: Bennington, Vermont, United States
Material/technique: parian porcelain
Dimensions:
Object Height/Width (Height x Width): 22.8 x 16.3 cm
Object Height/Width (Height x Width): 9 0.97638 x 6 7/16 in
Credit line: William Bridges Thayer Memorial
Accession number: 1928.3463
Not on display
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Label texts

Thayer Today
This pitcher is made of Parian ware, a type of porcelain developed in England in the 1840s as a less expensive alternative for unglazed pieces. The sculpted decoration replicates a waterfall, or perhaps the famous Niagara Falls. For North Americans, Niagara Falls has exemplified nature’s astonishing power and man’s desire to harness its energy. Both interpretations have manifested in Niagara’s status as a tourist destination and subject of artistic interpretations. This pitcher can be found in a case in the exhibition This Land.
This Land
For North Americans, Niagara Falls has exemplified nature’s astonishing might and man’s desire to harness its hydraulic power. Both interpretations have manifested in Niagara’s status as a tourist destination and subject of artistic interpretations.
This Land
American Earthenware These ceramics reinforce the connection between American earthenware and American places. Motifs refer to Niagara Falls or New Orleans as well as the many cities where American Art Pottery workshops emerged. Even the locally sourced clay fired by Marie Benson at the first University of Kansas kiln evokes a sense of place. At Rookwood, Newcomb, and Van Briggle Potteries, female artists were often employed as decorators, producing works inspired by contemporary stylistic trends such as Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco.
This Land
This pitcher is made of Parian ware, a type of porcelain developed in England in the 1840s as a less expensive alternative for unglazed pieces. The relief decoration simulates a waterfall, or perhaps the famous tourist attraction, Niagara Falls. American paintings from the 1850s and 1860s, such as those by Frederick Church, also celebrated natural wonders.
This Land
This pitcher is made of Parian ware, a type of porcelain developed in England in the 1840s as a less expensive alternative for unglazed pieces. The relief decoration simulates a waterfall, or perhaps the famous tourist attraction, Niagara Falls. American paintings from the 1850s and 1860s, such as those by Frederick Church, also celebrated natural wonders.
Archive Label 2001: This pitcher is made of Parian ware, a type of porcelain developed in England in the 1840s as a less expensive alternative for unglazed pieces. The relief decoration simulates a waterfall, or perhaps the famous tourist attraction, Niagara Falls. American paintings from the 1850s and 1860s, such as those by Frederick Church, also celebrated natural wonders.

Exhibitions

Brosseau Center for Learning: Whiteout
2022–2023
This Land
Kate Meyer, curator
2016–2021
This Land
Kate Meyer, curator
2014–2015
Ceramics from the Collection
Susan Earle, curator
1996–1997

Citations

Broun, Elizabeth. Handbook of the Collection: Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art. Lawrence, Kansas: Spencer Museum of Art, The University of Kansas, 1978.