Covered bowl 1830 - 1840

David Haring created this covered bowl in the United States, sometime in the mid-19th century, using earthenware with a red lead glaze. We know that Haring was working as a potter in Pennsylvania at this time, and his work reflects the forms and decorations of the Pennsylvania German community to which he belonged. The bowl is decorated with geometric patterns, which would have been created by hand using simple tools. This design and the bowl’s utilitarian function connects it to a wider history of American folk art. The piece suggests a society that values craft and domesticity, yet the intricate designs also imply a desire for beauty and refinement beyond pure utility. To understand Haring’s bowl fully, one might delve into archives of local historical societies, tracing the networks of artisans and consumers in the region. Only then can we fully understand its place in the cultural landscape of its time.