Plate 1899

This plate was made by Laura Fry, an American artist who lived between 1857 and 1943. It’s made of earthenware, a type of pottery fired at a relatively low temperature. What’s fascinating here is the decoration. The plate has a clean white surface, adorned with a stylized pattern of onions, connected by swirling lines. These designs are realized in a soft blue. But look closely, and you’ll see that this isn’t just painted on. Fry was one of the first artists to experiment with slip decoration techniques in the Rookwood Pottery in Cincinnati, Ohio. The plate was decorated using the “slip” technique, where liquid clay is applied to the surface before firing. This involved skilled labor, but could also be mechanized, blurring the lines between craft and industrial production. This plate reflects the Arts and Crafts movement. It embraced handcraftsmanship, but was also deeply implicated in the market economy. It is a reminder of the complex relationship between art, labor, and consumption in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.