Dish

Art Historical Context

This charming earthenware dish, crafted by American potter Simon Singer in 9, exemplifies the enduring tradition of redware pottery in late 19th-century America Measuring 10 3/8 x 8 1/8 inches, its warm, iron-rich red clay body—typical of low-fired earthenware—serves both functional and decorative purposes, evoking the rustic simplicity of colonial-era ceramics while bridging to Victorian-era home arts. Singer, likely working in a regional folk pottery center such as Pennsylvania, employed techniques like trailed slip decoration to adorn the dish with floral motifs, as suggested by its tagging. Redware's unglazed or minimally glazed surface highlights the natural texture of the clay, a hallmark of American utilitarian art that prioritized affordability and everyday beauty over industrial porcelain. This piece reflects a cultural nostalgia for handmade crafts amid rapid industrialization, showcasing immigrant-influenced designs that blended European pottery methods with American ingenuity. Now housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, the dish was generously gifted by Mrs. Robert W. de Forest in 1933, underscoring early 20th-century efforts to preserve vernacular arts. Visitors will appreciate its tactile warmth and vibrant flowers as a window into the daily lives of American households.