Vase 1894 - 1903

This earthenware vase was created by George E. Ohr, an American potter working in Mississippi at the turn of the 20th century. Ohr distinguished himself from the assembly-line ceramics of the industrial age, which he saw as soulless. The vase's pinched and folded surfaces suggest a malleable material, and its mottled glaze evokes the unpredictable effects of the kiln. Ohr saw himself as an artistic rebel and called himself “the Mad Potter of Biloxi." He exhibited his works at world fairs, aligning himself with the Arts and Crafts movement. Ohr's ceramics were too eccentric for the tastes of his time and failed to sell in large numbers. We might speculate whether he was critiquing the traditional role of ceramics. To understand Ohr, we can look at period sources such as exhibition reviews, as well as the history of art institutions and the Arts and Crafts movement. Only then can we understand the social and cultural context of this work.