Sewer-Pipe Vase with Applied Decoration
Unidentified
20th century
Medium
Decorative Arts-Ceramic
Classification
Decorative Arts-Ceramic
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson
Accession Number
1986.65.39
Tags
vase
About this artwork
Early-twentieth-century factory workers often created whimsical objects as a diversion from the monotony of their jobs. They used any materials that were available and often gave them away as gifts. In these pieces, the artists covered old sections of sewer pipes with clay, then decorated the surface. The molded handles suggest that the pots were intended to be used.
About the Artist
Unidentified ( ) · –