Pie Plate and Cup Plate

Art Historical Context

This watercolor, graphite, and gouache rendering by Cora Parker, created around 1938, belongs to the Index of American Design at the National Gallery of Art. The Index was a New Deal-era project that employed artists to create precise visual records of American decorative arts, crafts, and everyday objects, preserving the nation’s material heritage during the Great Depression. Parker’s illustration focuses on two humble yet characteristic household items: a pie plate, essential for baking, and a cup plate, a small dish once used to rest teacups while tea cooled in saucers. Her careful combina...