Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-05-15
THE POTTER'S ART.
WHAT CHICAGO LADIES HAVE AC-
COMPLlSHED IN CERAMICS
How the Art, Born in the Twilight OF the
Gods, Is Being Sustained-Details
Connected with the Enter
prise.
tChicago IIerald.l

t('bc0PO Herald,
Tho c,aye for old pottery. or china.
mania is an endemic that appcars peri
ideally and nj such times almost fabu
Ions Sims will be paid for old and rare
sNoc;mens The hotbscbil,is have a COL
laction worth millions of dollars and
many of our own citizens have nlnouns
and vases and dishes of various sorts that
have cost n urettv pennv and are treas.
ured accordingly. 1t is now nearly ten
years sipce the mania was at its heirht in
this country. and it has not vet died away
Popes famous definition of n pcrfectIv
weil.brcd woman" Mistress of herself
though china fall"-had a curious illus.
tration mt WASHINGTON during the china
craze in that senator's wife Who when
acme clumsy Int most influential ronstit.
uent of nor husband hroLo a r,rn ond ov.
neneive niocn M Savrns china instontiv
shattered its communion niece saving
with a smile. "Thel are very FRAGILE MT
plank y AIR ntterfin,rers w,s INT nt bis
ease bv the nolite lodv's sacrifice lint if
the tear was not in her eve il remained in
her heart for many long div
Asa light and nrtlstic work for women
nottcrv decoration occunies the first rank
II consists N the making of Ornamental
dishes ola 'ues, vases, ties and other Oh.
iects Il is intensely interesting and may
be made quite remuneratiye II one has
only the courage TO encounter the
obstacles. which are considerable but by
no means irsarmountable The work
must he done nd acenr to n kiln. and in a
large city il is almost impossible to have a
kiln in ANYTHING like n central location,
The heavy work must be done by men
and one or two skillful potters must assist
to mold the forms and do other necessary
labor The ladies of thicnro haze over.
come these and many other diinculties and
the Pottery club of CHICAGO is now in
successful operatiop, Its present Quarters
are on West onpress street. where amid
quite prosaic surroundings. some rare and
beautiful work has leen ACCOMPLISHED
Here dai,y the deyoteeS of the art may he
found fashioninr with delft and skillful
fingers the various oh ecis their artistic
genius has designed Taking the nodded
form of the soft CLAY as il comes from the
hand of the potter. who has n small room
Just beyond the work room where he
athrows IN" forms on his wheel with sur.
prisipc deyterity. the fair potter works
with hand and tool at such designs of
beauty as NAV suggest themselves when
this work is completed it is ready for the
kiln.
Asa general thing the kiln is fred
every two weeks, but lust now they are
firing il oftener The article is placed in
what is called a "seggar, an oval case or
box of fire CLAW under the kiln. which
protects the Oh ,ect from the fire and
smoke while the baking is going ON.
These "seggars" are piled one on top of
the other, the creviccs all carefully scaled
with bands of fire.clav. and when ihc kiln
is fully "charred" the fires are started 1t
takes about forty. eight hours of white
heat thoroughly to bake the ware. and
when this first baking is &C diminished the
ware is said to be in the biscuit" state.
"Tbe drawing" of the kiln is generally at
tended with considerable excitement on
the part of the fair potters, for how the
ware will come out is sometimes quite a
problem. The heat NAV have been too
intense for some Of the Trailer articles and
they may c, me out broken or deformed
The Herald representative saw most ex
uuisitelv slare,s vase with an ugly wound
in its side causel hy the too raid con.
traction of the CLAY. When the potter
has her work safely back into her hands
she then proceeds TO further ornamental.
ton with the brush and then the "glaz.
ing" is done. This also requires n skillful
operator who dips the article once in the
trough of glaze, and then it is ready for
the furnace again After second ak.
ing with little Furnishing. it stands
completed as thing of beauty.
"We expect to accomplish a great deal
more this coming wear than even berore
said Mrs Blake, who now has the man
agenent of the pottery. I'VE are getting