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Christopher Dresser

Pitcher
Now On View

Maker

Attributed to Christopher Dresser (Scottish, 1834-1904), designer
Old Hall Earthenware Company (English, ca. 1861-1886), manufacturer

Title

Pitcher

Year

ca. 1881

Medium

  • Earthenware with transfer-printed enamel

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

  • Earthenware with transfer-printed enamel

Materials

transfer-printed earthenware, enamel

Geography

Place Made: Staffordshire; Place Made: Hanley; Place Made: England

Dimensions

22.9 x 16.5 x 10.8 cm (9 x 6 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

In red ink on underside: 3/86

Marks: Partial printed label on underside: "[?] Hall | England[?]"

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Edgar J. Lownes Fund

Object Number

1997.36

Type

  • Ceramics

Exhibition History

A Changing Reflection
Silver, Metalwork, and Jewelry in the 19th-21st Centuries
Apr 21, 2017 – Dec 30, 2025
Recent Acquisitions
Inclusive and Diverse
Feb 18, 2000 – Apr 16, 2000

Label copy

The unorthodox design of this pitcher, with its intersecting triangles and random patterns of decoration, is believed to be by Christopher Dresser, one of the most innovative industrial designers in Britain in the late 19th century. In 1876, he traveled to Japan as a representative of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and also as a buyer for Tiffany and Company, New York. The lessons Dresser learned from everyday Japanese objects inspired him to design simple forms with ornament abstracted from nature. The more conventional fans and flowers used to decorate this pitcher suggest that some buyers still clung to traditional motifs, even on the most daring designs. This is the first ceramic object by Dresser to enter the Museum's collection, which previously contained only his glass and metalwork.

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Attributed to Christopher Dresser (Scottish, 1834-1904), designer
Old Hall Earthenware Company (English, ca. 1861-1886), manufacturer
Pitcher, ca. 1881
Earthenware with transfer-printed enamel
22.9 x 16.5 x 10.8 cm (9 x 6 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches)
Edgar J. Lownes Fund 1997.36

To request new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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