Toleware Sugar Bowl

Art Historical Context

This delicate rendering captures a charming 19th-century toleware sugar bowl, crafted from painted tin. Created around 1940 by Sara Garfinkel as part of the Index of American Design, the uses watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paperboard to faithfully document the object’s modest size—roughly 3¾ inches high and 4⅛ inches in diameter—and its likely decorative motifs. Toleware, an affordable alternative to imported ceramics, became popular in American households for everyday items like sugar bowls. These tin pieces were often hand-painted with colorful flowers or stenciled patterns, reflectin...