Vase

Arthur Irwin Hennessy (des.) for Marblehead Pottery

1908-20 (ca.)

7 3/8 inches (h)

Glazed earthenware

2024.16.2

Gift of Barbara Fuldner

Shop mark–galleon flanked by "M P"– impressed on base.

With its quiet repetition of conventionalized grape vines executed in the muted tones and satiny glaze that brought the Marblehead Pottery renown, this vase encapsulates some of the dominant themes of the Arts and Crafts movement. The design is a means to bring nature into the home and the treatment of the plant and softness of the glaze surface reinforce ideas of simplicity, restraint, and quietude. Another tenet of the movement–the restorative value of handicrafts–is evident in the vase’s execution, for while some examples of this form feature only painted decoration, here the incised outlines and subtle modelling of the leaves, stems, and grapes connect viewers to the process by which the vase took shape. Indeed, Marblehead Pottery was a small operation begun by Dr. Herbert Hall as a “work cure” for nervously worn out patients in 1905 before it was commercialized under the direction of Arthur E. Baggs the following year. Unlike many of the larger pottery concerns in the period, handwork continued to be prized at Marblehead.

Although this example does not bear the initials of its designer, a number of examples of this design bear the mark of Arthur Irwin Hennessy, a multi-talented designer who by 1908 was working at Marblehead Pottery.