Ceramics In America 2020

The 2020 volume of Ceramics in America is a celebration of the depth and diversity of ceramics in the American context. Beautifully illustrated articles explore the use of clay from the most basic building bricks to refined earthenwares promoting the political and economic issues of the American Revolution. Of special interest is the origin of the ceramic manufacturing spark in America, looking at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia cited by historians and connoisseurs as the height of recognition of achievement for ceramic production in the United States. The archaeological discovery of rare "black delft" teapot fragments from Charleston's Drayton Hall is recounted in an exciting collector's narrative. Other articles will include a profile of North Carolina potter David Stuempfle who continues the old-age tradition of producing wood fired stoneware, a study of Thomas Jefferson's Chinese porcelain, and Pueblo pottery collected by a German Museum in the early twentieth century.

A diverse range of essays, new discoveries, and book reviews on the latest research of interest to ceramics scholars.

The 2021 volume of Ceramics in America features new discoveries about ceramics used in the American context. Topics include American stoneware, Chinese export porcelain, and commemorative historical and political wares. Of special interest are ca. 1790-1810 slip-decorated earthenwares from the manufactory of Enoch Wood and James Caldwell.

A broken pot is made whole again, and within its golden repair we see a world of meaning. Kintsugi is the art of embracing imperfection. In Western cultures, the aim of repair has been to make the broken item 'as good as new'. Kintsugi on the other hand, is a Japanese art that leaves an obvious repair – one that may appear fragile, but which actually makes the restored ceramic piece stronger, more beautiful, and more valuable than before. Leaving clear, bold, visible lines with the appearance of solid gold, it never hides the story of the object's damage. Kintsugi traces memory, bringing together the moment of destruction and the gold seams of repair through finely-honed skills and painstaking, time-consuming labour in the creation of a new pot from the old. There is a story to be told with every crack, every chip. This story inevitably leads to kintsugi's greatest strength. an intimate metaphoric narrative of loss and recovery, breakage and restoration, tragedy and the ability to overcome it. A kintsugi repair speaks of individuality and uniqueness, fortitude and resilience, and the beauty to be found in survival. Kintsugi leads us to a respectful and appreciative acceptance of hardship and ageing. Author Bonnie Kemske explores kintsugi's metaphorical power as well as exploring the technical and practical aspects of the art, meeting with artists and ceramists in Japan and the US to discuss their personal connection to this intricate technique. With the inclusion of diary entries, personal stories, and in-depth exploration of its origin and symbolism, this book shows kintsugi's metaphoric strength as well as its striking aesthetic, making it a unique and powerful art form that can touch our lives.

For the first time, color photographs of the known nineteen surviving objects from this important American porcelain factory are presented.Accompanying essays provide the historical context for the rise and fall of the factory along with exploration of porcelain technology and classification of parallel British porcelain. Important new evidence is presented for an even earlier porcelain manufactory near Charleston, South Carolina that of emigrant Staffordshire potter John Bartlam.

The essays in this book look at the development of British Ceramics and their collection by American collectors. The historic 'special relationship' between Great Britain and the United States spans decades and is deeply valued on both sides of the 'pond.' Emerging from the alliances forged in the world wars in the first half of 20th century, both British and American societies have benefited from the infusion of each other's cultural contributions. Ceramics and ceramic collecting has been no different in this regard. The British ceramic art displayed in this book is largely loaned from the private collections of California connoisseurs. These treasured artifacts testify to the regard and appreciation that American collectors hold for British ceramics. This catalog accompanies the 2013 exhibition by the same name at the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona, CA.