International studio (54.1914/1915)

Exhibition of Decorated China

XHIBITION OF DECORATED
CHINA
The Annual National Exhibition of
Decorated China was held recently in
Chicago in the galleries of Burley & Tyrrell Com-


pany.
The exhibition was larger than those of other
years, and the conventional style of decoration
predominated. The use of this type of ornament
has steadily increased from the small showing of a
few years ago to about three-fourths of the whole
in this year’s display. These exhibitions are
unique in that they aim to encourage the artists
to strive for a higher standard for use in com-
merce, the practical side of art development. Six
cash prizes were divided between the two styles
of decoration, f.e., conventional and naturalistic.
The first prize in the conventional class was
awarded to Mrs. Ralph Park, of Chicago, for a
round fruit platter and set of small plates to
match. The design consists of five geometrical
divisions running to a centre medallion that is
filled in with small blue flowers and gold leaves.
These are also used in the filling of the panelled
divisions of the plate border.
Mrs. J. W. Shaw, also of Chicago, received
second prize for a bowl, whose decoration is in
every sense a departure from the usual.
Miss Frances E. Newman, of Minneapolis, took
third for a water jug, with a remarkably effective
panel treatment.
These three prize-winning exhibits are shown in
the illustration herewith. Honourable mention
was awarded to Miss Florence McCray, of Garden
City, Kansas, for the chocolate pot,with cups and
saucers, also seen in the cut, and to Mr. Otto
Trepte, of Chicago, for his large chop plate, which
is gold covered and etched in a delicate manner.
In the naturalistic class, the Ursuline Sisters of
Tiffin, Ohio, showed some very attractive work,
including a boudoir lamp, for which they received
first prize. All of the background is a lustreless
black, with a broad disposition of gold; the deco-
ration a variety of moths or butterflies.
A chop dish and a half dozen plates, whose deco-
ration is large roses, each done in a different colour
on a different background, secured the second
prize for Mr. E. J. Mulvaney, of Chicago.
Miss E. Winans, of Aurora, Illinois, showed a
serving tray with pale blue and yellow atmospheric
background, in which seems to float a disposition
of roses in deep and light pink and yellow, for
which she received the third prize.

Honourable mention in naturalistic decoration
was given to a bon-bon box entirely in grays, by
Mrs. L. C. Butcher, of Chicago, and to Mr. W. R.
Scholtz, of Chicago, for a Colonial tea set, in which
the design is of panels framed with gold bands and
paste dots.
Mrs. LeRoy T. Steward, of Chicago, had un-
doubtedly the richest and most ambitious piece of
work in the exhibition. If she had not marked it
as ‘‘not in competition,” it certainly would have
been a first-prize winner. We regret that no
photograph is available for reproduction. A large
chop plate and luncheon dishes to match were in
deep blue and gold, accented with many colours.
The pattern was geometric forms in three large
divisions, enclosing a rich collection of flower
forms. These medallions of flowers were coloured
strongly enough so that at a distance they held
their relative positions most perfectly.
One of the interesting departures of this exhibi-
tion was the introduction of several small tables
for displaying the work of individuals, the ex-
hibitor in each of these cases being “not in compe-
tition.” Among those who took advantage of this
privilege was Mrs. A. A. Frazee, of Chicago, one
of the most original of the overglaze decorators in
the country.
PRINT ROOM, NEW YORK PUBLIC
LIBRARY
Names particularly prominent in the history of
etching—Rembrandt, Whistler and a few others—
are represented with a certain frequency in exhibi-
tions of prints. But there are also minor men who
deserve a hearing, who offer delightful by-paths to
the student of etching, vistas of quite widely vary-
ing points of view, born of national and local con-
ditions and influences, popular taste, artistic ten-
dencies, individual mental make-up and view-
point. The Prints Division of the New York Pub-
lic Library has arranged an exhibition of etchings
by seventeenth-century artists. By way of intro-
duction, a few plates of the sixteenth century are
shown, by those early etchers, Hopfer, Altdorfer,
Lautensack. Only a comparatively few years
later the art was being practised assiduously by a
number of artists.
There is the usual display of books relating to
the subject of the exhibition.
The exhibitions of mezzotints from the J. L.
Cadwalader Collection and of “recent additions,”
and the J. F. Millet memorial exhibit, remain on
view.

LX