The Arts and Crafts in New York 
A BUSCH MANTEL 
It will be more courteous, perhaps, to notice 
the contributed exhibits hrst. 
One ol the most notable and attractive 
features of the exhibition was in the ceramic 
department, where some beautiful pieces of 
Newcomb Pottery were shown. These were 
extremely interesting not only from their 
artistic merit but also from the unusual con¬ 
ditions that gave rise to their manufacture. 
The type had its origin in the Art Depart¬ 
ment of Newcomb College of New Orleans, 
Louisiana, where it continues to be made 
under the supervision of the department by 
women who are, or have been, its students. 
It was felt by the college authorities that 
a decided stimulus would be given to the 
growing industries of the South, if there 
could be clearly shown the dependence of 
artistic manufacture upon art training. The 
effort was soon justified, for the Newcomb 
Pottery at once challenged attention by its 
originality and beauty of design. The secret 
of this success is largely due to the fact that 
each worker in the craft is led to feel that the 
responsibility attached to a signed pottery 
design is the same as that which exists in the 
case of a signed pic¬ 
ture, and that individ¬ 
ual reputation may be 
gained as well by this 
as by other forms of art 
expression. Freedom 
in the choice of colors 
is allowed, though this 
is usually a greenish 
blue resembling the 
color of the cactus 
plant, which, with the 
character of the design, 
gives to Newcomb 
Pottery its individual 
quality. Native clay 
is used for making the 
pottery, and flowers 
peculiar to the neigh¬ 
borhood, insect life and 
typical landscape for¬ 
mations of the Gulf 
States have all been 
made use of in furnish¬ 
ing suggestions for the 
decoration of the ware. 
A design is never dupli¬ 
cated, and each piece of ware is original. 
Scarcely less interesting are the pieces which 
owe their decoration to the heat of the kiln, 
showing quaint accidental blendings of color. 
Among the undecorated china, Miss Mary 
White Talbot, of the Young Women’s Club 
Association, exhibited some clever small 
pieces of green ware; it had the same soft 
finish so attractive in the Grueby ware. 
There was also a small showing of the Van 
Briggle Pottery from Colorado Springs; the 
strong rich colors of this ware being note¬ 
worthy. Some dainty cups and saucers and 
plates, decorated by Miss Mary Carpenter, 
attracted especial attention. 
The display in basketry was quite inter¬ 
esting; some undecorated finely woven bas¬ 
kets made by the New Clairvaux Arts and 
Crafts seemed to find a ready sale. Deco¬ 
rated baskets of Indian design were also on 
exhibition, made by the same Society. 
The weaving exhibit was also large and 
varied. The New Clairvaux Arts and Crafts 
showed some good examples of rugs that were 
shaded in the dyeing; one with autumn leaf 
coloring artistically blended. 
234 
