Pitcher 1890s - 1900s

Here we see a stoneware pitcher crafted by George E. Ohr, currently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The pitcher has a striking iridescent glaze in shades of purple and brown. Its form is asymmetrical, with one side seemingly folding over itself, creating a dynamic, almost fluid shape. Ohr's work challenges traditional notions of ceramic art. This piece moves beyond mere functionality. His process embraces chance and imperfection, reflecting a broader artistic shift toward abstraction and subjective expression. The pitcher's distorted shape and lustrous glaze, combined with its structural defiance, destabilize our expectations of what a functional object should be. Consider how Ohr's manipulation of form and material invites us to question fixed categories and to embrace the unconventional. The pitcher remains a testament to the transformative power of artistic vision.