Toleware Tea Cannister c. 1938

This watercolor painting by Edward White depicts a black tea cannister with colorful painted decorations. The cannister is decorated with yellow and green swirling patterns and a single red circle in the center, a typical motif in Toleware. Dating back to the 1930s, this artwork exemplifies the enduring practice of folk art, a tradition of craftsmanship and creativity rooted in everyday life. "Toleware" refers to painted tinware, a popular form of decorative art in the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries.