Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-10-04
letter from BOAtOn.

THE POTTERY EXHIBIT AT THE MECHANICS FAIR
A BOSTON DEALER WHO 'wENr WEST TO
STUDY CEBAMGcs-THE BLUE WILLOW WARE
NOVELTIES IN TABLE FURNISHING WHAT
SOME or THE PRETTY THINGS COST.
BosToN, Sept 90 1873
I had been reading "The China Hunters
Club, n most fascinating description of the
achievements of an amateur association of
collectors which has recently been published
by Harper Bros, when paid my last visit to
the Mechanics Fair, and with the ceramic fe-
ver full ON me, made my way at once to the
Art Department, where the exhibitions of
rare pottery are given place How the man
ayers would have laughed few years ago
had il been suggested to them TO put crock
cry on n footing with painting and sculpture
1t would have been relegoted to the same cor
ridor with sef-raising flour, extracts, per
fumes and kitchen utensils. A dish was a
dish nothing more. nothing less, valued for
its usefulness rather than its artistic merit
To be sure there was a slight prejudico in IA
vor of prettiness, especially among the femi-
nine portion of the community--a prejudice
which was tolerated on the part of the mascu-
line half, as IN evidence of the softness and
weakness which properly belonged to the sex,
but which was only to be tolerated, not hui
morod. Good, honest wear was what the
superior sex demanded, and they got it, too
But gradually the prejudice grew and extend
ed, until now it is shared alike by men and
women there is much talk about art" CON
nectsd with the laying of Il table, and no house
keeper is content without rare bits of China
and odd artistic pieces Of foreign ware.
Said little enthusiast, who is just setting
her house in order for the sweet first home
coming, Il didn't care how much | econo-
mized in any other direction, but l would
have my pretty china. Why, plain bread aud
butter, or even potato and salt would taste
better off pretty dishes, than the finest dinner
which could be gotten up, if il was served on
coarse ware" 1t is this fast growing taste
for and knowledge of pottery which has Civ
en- it place in art. And doesn't it deserve
it? For can anything be more truly artistic
than those lovely etchings of Miss Barlow on
the Doulton ware, or the paintings by Mar
times and Brpcquemond on the costly picture
plaques of Hayiland's Limoges ware.
I fingered longest over the collection of
Jones, McDuffee & Stratton, the largest and
most varied of all the exhibitions, and found
myself entirely fascinated and quite unable
to get away Mr.. Stratton has just returned
from trip around the world, during which
he visited all the principal potteries of Asia
and Europe selecting articles for the Ameri-
can market, to meet the newly aroused artis-
tic taste. He is the first crockery importer
who ever visited the potterics in the interior
of China and Japan, and he has returned with
q new enthusiasm for his business Starting
from San Francisco, he visited Yokohama,
Toxic, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Suez through
the Red Sea to Italy, through Germany,
France, Great Britain, and home to Boston
Wasn't that an implicit and literal obedience
tc the advice go West, young mani" All!
but such lovely things as he brought with
him, and so many as nre already following
him. 1t will be quite December before all
are here, but specimens of what he did bring
are the most attractive part of the exhibition
at the Mechanics Fair.
Wouldn't you like to coax Mr.. Stratton to
tell you about his visit to the different potter
les, and all the queer, quaint things he saw
in the Eastern countries? 1t would be rs en-
tertaining and more curious than Dickens
POTTERY Story which describes a visit lac
made to Copeland's famous potteries, where
he saw the ware made, studying all the pro-
cesses from the pulverzng of the flint and
the reducing of the clay to pulp, to the final
baking.
Perhaps you will remember that ! told you
| a few months ago, of the sudden revival of
| the blue willow ware. Did you think it was
| only the caprice of the moment, and that the
| desire for it would soon die out: 1t has not ;
| if possible the desire for it is increasing.
Many people use it for breakfast when they
| have plain or decorated china for dinner use ;
others use it altogether for breakfast and din
ner alike All colored wares seem to have
| the preference over white ware, in the same
| odd. unique, half-civiizel shapes in which it
was made two centuries or more ago. You've
a feeling of positive liking for the squat little
| pitcher with a generous lip; TO be sure it
may be little out of drawing, but what of
| that it betokens plenty and is suggestive of
| good cheer. Do you know, l never can look
at one of those pitchers without thinking of a
Chinese idol, short, stumpy, roiy poly and so
ugly that they are fascinating. The saucers
We're designed for time when it was in nc
cordance with the rules Of etiquette to pour
the tea from the cup into its saucer to cool
and be drunk. No such shallow, useless,
make-believe affairs as those of the present
day. The cups are haring and seem to tempt
one TO drink out of them. have "A weakness
| for the willow ware myself; that probably is
the reason why l am enthusiastic over its re-
vival. l have been familiar with it all my
| life. 1t has been n part of the very best
times" of my childhood. How many spice
cakes, ginger nuts and crullers have been
emptied into my open pockets from one OF
these very plates, by the grandma's indulgent
hands. The English willow, which is an ex-
act reproduction of the India china, brings
the style within the reach of every one who
can buy crockery at all. 1t initiates the col
or and shape perfectly and is so inexpensive.
You can buy breakfast set for 81 and from
that to $S; tea set will cost you from 81 to
So, and you can own a complete dinner Sci
| for G.1E. mr. IL vou Xyant one n triHa battcr