January, 1914 
29 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
ration and the shapes of the dishes 
are usually excellent, which, of 
course adds greatly to their attrac- 
tiveness. In the more elaborate 
pieces the colors were often vivid 
and highly varied. We find red, 
white, green, chocolate, yellow, blue, 
brown and other colors, so that it is 
plain that the chromatic possibilities 
were not narrowly limited. 
Among the Horal subjects, in ad- 
dition to the tulip, the fuchsia was a 
general favorite. Occasionally we 
meet with forget-me-nots and roses 
and various other Bowers that 
bloomed in the thrifty gardens of 
these color-loving Germans. It is 
often quite possible to recognize eas- 
ily the flowers and fruits and leaves 
the old potters adorned their plates 
with; then again, the subjects have 
been so conventionalized or so crudely treated that identi- 
fication is out of the question. In almost all cases, how- 
ever, let the treatment be as crude as it may, the decora- 
tive effect is distinctly good. 
Like flowers, the birds the potters introduced as orna- 
ments are sometimes susceptible of ready identification; 
sometimes, on the other hand, they would baffle the most 
expert naturalist were he to try to name them. They are 
not as generally successful as flowers, and when ill done 
attract us merely by their grotesque qualities. While the 
bird designs decorating the meat dish shown in the illustra- 
tion on page 27 are decidedly good, those shown on the pie 
plate on this page are so contorted that the beholder instinc- 
tively feels they must be suffering from some terrifying co- 
lumbiary disorder. Pelicans, swans, ducks, parrots and, of 
course, the barnyard cock, as well as other members of the 
feathered tribe, figured in the decorative aviary. Animals 
of sundry sorts make their appearance now and again, but 
the drawing is often so bad that they are not recognizable. 
Fishes and serpents, too, are included in the pottery me- 
nagerie, and are sometimes creditably executed. The de- 
lineation of man, it must be con- 
fessed, was not one of the strong 
points of the “Pennsylvania Dutch” 
potter. As an example of his prow- 
ess in this field of limning, we may 
point to the dish shown in the illus- 
tration on page 27, whereon is de- 
picted a loving couple. Though the 
presentation is spirited, the drawing 
can scarcely be called either accurate 
or inspiring. However, this plate is 
interesting in its composition as a 
whole, and especially interesting as 
being an example of a dated plate — 
1801 — containing the name of the 
person for whom it was made in 
good round lettering. 
Notwithstanding all the imperfec- 
tions in drawing and the lack of ar- 
tistic finish, notwithstanding, often, 
the crudity of color, notwithstanding 
the general bizarrerie of many of the pieces, they all possess 
a decorative charm that compels our interest if not our ad- 
miration. Some of the pieces, as we have said before, have 
real artistic merit, and, indeed, there seems no good reason, 
in the light of recent Post-impressionistic inspiration, why 
they should not all be accorded a lofty position in the plane 
of artistic rating. Surely, the birds, previously alluded to, 
and several of the other creatures on the plates in the ac- 
companying illustrations, as well as the man and woman 
on the dish, have all the earmarks of draughtsmanship that 
entitle them to our most enthusiastic admiration according 
to the precepts and example ol our most modern art men- 
tors. 
On the borders of plates, platters and dishes the “Penn- 
sylvania Dutch” potters frequently inscribed mottoes and 
proverbs. Among these people there was little popular 
reading matter, and therefore this method of decorating 
the pottery filled a useful and welcome purpose in supplying 
occasional reminders of moral principles and food for. re- 
flection. Not only their sentiments did the potters record 
( Continue/, l on page 32) 
Sgraffito plate with tulip decoration. The design was 
incised in white slip showing the red pottery through it 
In these two Sgraffito plates the conventionalized floral decorations and the birds are reminiscent of Bavarian peasant design 
