Nancy Wickham, American pottery vase in mauve and cream
Not often found in Canada, this is a lovely mauve matte glaze vase that resembles rammed earth is made by an important American potter, Nancy Wickham Boyd.
Nancy Wickham Boyd, born 1923 (d. 1987), studied at New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in Alfred, New York, where she attended as a special student, having lived on her own from a young age. She established a studio and shop in Woodstock, Vermont where she produced mainly functional ceramics.
She participated in the Ceramic National Exhibition at Syracuse Museum of Fine Arts [now Everson Museum of Art] in Syracuse, New York first in 1946 where a breakfast set made in connection with Design Technics was displayed. Further submissions were in 1947 - 1951, 1955, and 1958.
By the end of the 1950s her primary potting focus was lamps.
“We were in the building era then, and everyone was furnishing rooms and in need of lamps. No other material with equally lasting qualities can furnish as much natural warmth and humanness. So I decided to turn my pottery making into lamps.”
(Mark Shapiro, unpublished, "O Pioneers, Women Ceramic Artists 1925-1960")
The vase presented here is an early piece, made ca. later 1940s.
“Her approach was squarely that of a designer: she surveyed trending mid-century interior design, measured its austere furniture, and shaped her bases to maximize kiln space. While her forms were generally produced from molds, the work retained a handmade feel and the surfaces treatments were done freely by hand. She balanced her surface work between simple and more intricate treatments for a workflow that addressed both her creative interest and her bank account, maintaining control over which and how many examples she made. She refused orders for specific motifs or colors. An undated brochure instructs customers, in a frank stance that speaks to her formidable character, “You can only decide on what size you want: then write and ask what is in stock and go from there. Better yet—make some notes when you see what you want and don’t wait too long to buy it.”
(Mark Shapiro, unpublished, "O Pioneers, Women Ceramic Artists 1925-1960")
7.5" h x 4.25" opening, in exceptional condition.
Not often found in Canada, this is a lovely mauve matte glaze vase that resembles rammed earth is made by an important American potter, Nancy Wickham Boyd.
Nancy Wickham Boyd, born 1923 (d. 1987), studied at New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in Alfred, New York, where she attended as a special student, having lived on her own from a young age. She established a studio and shop in Woodstock, Vermont where she produced mainly functional ceramics.
She participated in the Ceramic National Exhibition at Syracuse Museum of Fine Arts [now Everson Museum of Art] in Syracuse, New York first in 1946 where a breakfast set made in connection with Design Technics was displayed. Further submissions were in 1947 - 1951, 1955, and 1958.
By the end of the 1950s her primary potting focus was lamps.
“We were in the building era then, and everyone was furnishing rooms and in need of lamps. No other material with equally lasting qualities can furnish as much natural warmth and humanness. So I decided to turn my pottery making into lamps.”
(Mark Shapiro, unpublished, "O Pioneers, Women Ceramic Artists 1925-1960")
The vase presented here is an early piece, made ca. later 1940s.
“Her approach was squarely that of a designer: she surveyed trending mid-century interior design, measured its austere furniture, and shaped her bases to maximize kiln space. While her forms were generally produced from molds, the work retained a handmade feel and the surfaces treatments were done freely by hand. She balanced her surface work between simple and more intricate treatments for a workflow that addressed both her creative interest and her bank account, maintaining control over which and how many examples she made. She refused orders for specific motifs or colors. An undated brochure instructs customers, in a frank stance that speaks to her formidable character, “You can only decide on what size you want: then write and ask what is in stock and go from there. Better yet—make some notes when you see what you want and don’t wait too long to buy it.”
(Mark Shapiro, unpublished, "O Pioneers, Women Ceramic Artists 1925-1960")
7.5" h x 4.25" opening, in exceptional condition.
Not often found in Canada, this is a lovely mauve matte glaze vase that resembles rammed earth is made by an important American potter, Nancy Wickham Boyd.
Nancy Wickham Boyd, born 1923 (d. 1987), studied at New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in Alfred, New York, where she attended as a special student, having lived on her own from a young age. She established a studio and shop in Woodstock, Vermont where she produced mainly functional ceramics.
She participated in the Ceramic National Exhibition at Syracuse Museum of Fine Arts [now Everson Museum of Art] in Syracuse, New York first in 1946 where a breakfast set made in connection with Design Technics was displayed. Further submissions were in 1947 - 1951, 1955, and 1958.
By the end of the 1950s her primary potting focus was lamps.
“We were in the building era then, and everyone was furnishing rooms and in need of lamps. No other material with equally lasting qualities can furnish as much natural warmth and humanness. So I decided to turn my pottery making into lamps.”
(Mark Shapiro, unpublished, "O Pioneers, Women Ceramic Artists 1925-1960")
The vase presented here is an early piece, made ca. later 1940s.
“Her approach was squarely that of a designer: she surveyed trending mid-century interior design, measured its austere furniture, and shaped her bases to maximize kiln space. While her forms were generally produced from molds, the work retained a handmade feel and the surfaces treatments were done freely by hand. She balanced her surface work between simple and more intricate treatments for a workflow that addressed both her creative interest and her bank account, maintaining control over which and how many examples she made. She refused orders for specific motifs or colors. An undated brochure instructs customers, in a frank stance that speaks to her formidable character, “You can only decide on what size you want: then write and ask what is in stock and go from there. Better yet—make some notes when you see what you want and don’t wait too long to buy it.”
(Mark Shapiro, unpublished, "O Pioneers, Women Ceramic Artists 1925-1960")
7.5" h x 4.25" opening, in exceptional condition.