Cracker and Butter Jar
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paper
Dimensions
overall: 27.9 x 22.7 cm (11 x 8 15/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 13 High 10 7/8 Wide(waist) 7 3/16 Wide(base)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.6036
Art Historical Context
"Cracker and Butter Jar" is a vibrant watercolor, graphite, and gouache rendering by artist John Jordan, created around 1936. Measuring 27.9 x 22.7 cm, this work meticulously documents a humble folk pottery object—likely a traditional butter jar or—standing 13 inches high with a waist of 10 7/8 inches and a base of 7 3/16 inches. Jordan's precise depiction captures the jar's characteristic form and decorative "cracker" pattern, evoking the everyday craftsmanship of early American households. As part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a New Deal-era Federal Art Project (1935–1942), this pi...