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Attributed to Christopher Dresser, designer

Pitcher, ca. 1881

Now On View

Description

Maker

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

Title

Pitcher

Year

ca. 1881

Medium

Earthenware with transfer-printed enamel

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • transfer-printed earthenware,
  • enamel

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

Place

Staffordshire; Hanley; England

Type

  • Ceramics

Credit

Edgar J. Lownes Fund

Object Number

1997.36

Projects & Publications

Publications

A Changing Reflection

Silver, Metalwork, and Jewelry in the 19th-21st Centuries
Read Online

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

A Changing Reflection

April 21, 2017 - September 30, 2023

Recent Acquisitions

February 18 - April 16, 2000

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.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Pitcher with the accession number of 1997.36. To request high-resolution files or 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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