Pa. German Dish c. 1936

Curator: This is an earthenware dish made in Pennsylvania around 1936, showcasing what's often called "Pa. German" folk art. It's rendered in watercolour, which seems an odd choice, since one expects ceramics to outlast paintings... Editor: I am completely charmed. It gives off such a folksy, kitchen-witch vibe. A gentle olive-green glaze, naive floral design in warm browns... It makes me think of fresh bread and simple pleasures. There is a certain imperfection that is truly gorgeous. Curator: Precisely. These pieces were usually made within family or community workshops. They served a practical purpose, but were also prized as decorative objects. The text around the rim...I think it says something like, "Whoever eats something, may it digest well." That seems right up your alley, given your baking habits. Editor: Absolutely! And you just know that sentiment was important in a community dependent on good harvests and strong bodies! This pottery embodies home and well-being and food! I wonder, though, about its transition to being ‘art.’ Curator: It’s a transition fueled by the Arts and Crafts movement's interest in elevating handmade objects. These ceramics moved from utilitarian objects to valuable art, collected and exhibited as symbols of a simpler, pre-industrial past. So you’re getting a double-layer of nostalgia: they already spoke to their own time, but now also stand for a kind of rediscovered artistic merit. Editor: It is the charm of simple things. I feel the beauty of utilitarian designs so profoundly! And in that, such beauty transcends its original place in history and lands here with us today, making me question its journey from "pottery" to art and whether or not that label serves the spirit in which it was made. Curator: You always come to these insights with such beauty. As an object both for nourishment and celebration, its folk elements persist as it transcends medium. Editor: And so do you, thank you, friend.