Bowl and lid
ca. 1810
Medium
ceramics
Classification
ceramics
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Accession Number
1990-168-3-a,b
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This elegant "Bowl and Lid," crafted around 1810, exemplifies early 19th-century ceramics from an unknown artisan. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection, it represents the practical yet refined pottery produced during a time when the young United States was fostering its domestic industries. Free from European imports after the Revolutionary War, American potters turned to local clays and kilns, creating functional wares like this covered bowl for serving food, storing preserves, or displaying on hearthside shelves. The medium of ceramics highlights the era's artisanal te...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...