Medium
Decorative Arts-Ceramic
Classification
Decorative Arts-Ceramic
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of International Business Machines Corporation
Accession Number
1966.27.17
Tags
Art Historical Context
This enigmatic ceramic plate, created by an unidentified American artist invites visitors to ponder the intersection of abstraction and cultural imagery in American decorative arts. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Decorative Arts-Ceramic collection, the piece features an abstract depiction of a head adorned in Indian dress—likely evoking Native American motifs common in early American ceramics. Though the exact date remains unknown, such plates often served as both functional dishware and storytelling canvases, blending everyday utility with artistic expression. The of ceramic...
About the Artist
Unidentified (American) ( ) · 1851 –1899
1851–1899