DOI Heft:
No. 103 (October, 1901)
DOI Artikel:Holme, C. Geoffrey: The potters art: object lessons from the far east
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19874#0065
The Potters Art
is usually to be found in the peasant craftsman is some thirty years ago, the importation of
necessary for the production of works of art; but Japanese manufactures began to assume import-
there is, of course, no reason why the peasant, if ance, many beautiful objects in porcelain, earthen-
endowed with genius and knowledge of his craft, ware, ivory, enamel, carved wood, and bamboo
should not rise to the position of a great master. were seen for the first time, and were eagerly
The two greatest impediments to progress in the imitated by some of the great English and French
potter's art are imitation and love of display. The potters—the remarkable feature of the imitations
first thing a potter asks himself when he gets a being that they were principally confined to articles in
mass of clay into his hands is, " What shall I bronze, ivory and bamboo, the reproduction of
imitate?" If it be a flower-vase that he is about pottery articles being but rarely attempted,
to make, then, as befitting such a dainty subject, The love of display, so ingrained in Western
he fancies that the form should be elegant and character, is responsible for the tawdry and vulgar
beautiful in line and contour, and his thoughts bedizenment of our earthenware vessels. Flower-
turn to the amphorae and
cratag of the ancient Greeks.
If he makes the neck of his
vase a little longer, or the
body a trifle bulkier, he
imagines he is evolving a
new form of surpassing
merit. As the monotony
of Greek forms palls upon
him, he tries Persian ones,
and by no means confines
his attention to the legiti-
mate shapes of pottery, but
glories especially in the re-
production of pierced metal
designs. A rim of open
arabesque work round the
neck, which renders the
vase unserviceable as a
receptacle for water, ap-
peals especially to him as
a beautiful method of treat-
ment. Then, for a change,
he tries the Italian style.
A nautilus shell with en-
amelled metal mounts ; a
female figure representing
a mermaid with a bifur-
cated acanthus scroll for a
tail, makes an appropriate
handle ; while a base,
designed with sporting
dolphins with acanthus-leaf
capes upon their backs, is
in keeping with the rest.
This he makes in pottery,
and paints and gilds as
nearly like the original as
possible, and exhibits it at
an International Exhibition
as a work of art! When, " PICCADILLY CIRCDS" (See London Studio_ Talk) - — —o
is usually to be found in the peasant craftsman is some thirty years ago, the importation of
necessary for the production of works of art; but Japanese manufactures began to assume import-
there is, of course, no reason why the peasant, if ance, many beautiful objects in porcelain, earthen-
endowed with genius and knowledge of his craft, ware, ivory, enamel, carved wood, and bamboo
should not rise to the position of a great master. were seen for the first time, and were eagerly
The two greatest impediments to progress in the imitated by some of the great English and French
potter's art are imitation and love of display. The potters—the remarkable feature of the imitations
first thing a potter asks himself when he gets a being that they were principally confined to articles in
mass of clay into his hands is, " What shall I bronze, ivory and bamboo, the reproduction of
imitate?" If it be a flower-vase that he is about pottery articles being but rarely attempted,
to make, then, as befitting such a dainty subject, The love of display, so ingrained in Western
he fancies that the form should be elegant and character, is responsible for the tawdry and vulgar
beautiful in line and contour, and his thoughts bedizenment of our earthenware vessels. Flower-
turn to the amphorae and
cratag of the ancient Greeks.
If he makes the neck of his
vase a little longer, or the
body a trifle bulkier, he
imagines he is evolving a
new form of surpassing
merit. As the monotony
of Greek forms palls upon
him, he tries Persian ones,
and by no means confines
his attention to the legiti-
mate shapes of pottery, but
glories especially in the re-
production of pierced metal
designs. A rim of open
arabesque work round the
neck, which renders the
vase unserviceable as a
receptacle for water, ap-
peals especially to him as
a beautiful method of treat-
ment. Then, for a change,
he tries the Italian style.
A nautilus shell with en-
amelled metal mounts ; a
female figure representing
a mermaid with a bifur-
cated acanthus scroll for a
tail, makes an appropriate
handle ; while a base,
designed with sporting
dolphins with acanthus-leaf
capes upon their backs, is
in keeping with the rest.
This he makes in pottery,
and paints and gilds as
nearly like the original as
possible, and exhibits it at
an International Exhibition
as a work of art! When, " PICCADILLY CIRCDS" (See London Studio_ Talk) - — —o