International studio (50.1913)

Dorothea Warren O'Hara


A

SOME RECENT WORK OF DOROTHEA
WARREN O’HARA
' A magazine devoted to keramics re-

ferred recently to Dorothea Warren

O’Hara as “coming rapidly to the front,” and
the writer felt, no doubt, that he or she had

bestowed a great compliment upon this tal-
ented decorator. As a matter of fact, this lady
is not “coming to the front,” but has actually
occupied a front seat for many years, as the pio-

neer of enamel decoration of the kind and character
in vogue today. Mrs. O’Hara began experiment-
ing twenty years ago, and during that time per-
fected by actual tests the ready-for-use enamels
now so successfully used by keramic teachers and
pupils. Keramic art today is certainly taking a
high place in the world of art and quorum pars
magna fui is as certainly this lady’s keramic
device. The illustrations show her most recent
work in enamels and merit description, even
though necessarily brief. The single vase, A,
shows basket and bands of gold, with fruit of
enamels. The pineapple is lakey red, the leaves
of neutral green, while golden pink and old yellow
have been employed for the apples. In illustra-
tion B there is a Belleek wall plaque to the right,
the design being carried out in soft enamels, dark
blue, blue green, and turquoise blue. The cracker
jar is Satsuma, the design worked out in copper
luster. The plate is designed in Roman gold and
green gold. In the group of bowls, C, the center
one is a Satsuma punch bowl, decorated with soft
enamels, the colors used being red, pink, blue
green, blue gray and cream white. After firing
this bowl was soused in black tea, to bring out the
crackel, which little trick is very popular among
the gentry who sell “antiques” fresh from the kiln.
The grape-design bowl is Belleek (American make)
with gray violet enamel for leaves, green No. i for
grapes, Manchu blue for stems. The other large
bowl is a Belleek punch bowl, dull green, yellow
with touch of red. This bowl is tinted with cela-
don yellow, except the decorated panels. Enam-
els used are: Green No. 2, dull yellow, dark yellow
and Persian red. The small bowls are Satsuma.
The center vase for a lamp, D, is in black,
orange, green and very dark blue. Enamels
used for flowers: Equal parts dark yellow and


C

LXXVII