Fruit Dish - "Brooklyn Ferry" c. 1936

This is Helmut Hiatt's ceramic fruit dish, "Brooklyn Ferry," made sometime between 1855 and 1995. It’s this incredible mix of craft and scene-making, where the process is right there on the surface. The glaze, it's not just a smooth finish, but a way of depicting the gridded facade of buildings and the watery reflections of the ferry. Look at the base, how the leafy pattern seems to support the weight of the skyline above. The drips and pooling of the glaze feel almost accidental, but they create this sense of depth and movement, like you could reach out and touch the rough surface of the water, or the weathered brick of a building. The holes along the top edge of the dish aren't just decoration, they're like windows, offering glimpses of what's inside – or maybe they're a playful nod to the windows on the buildings depicted on the side of the piece. I’m reminded of the ceramic work of Betty Woodman, using clay as a canvas for colour and form, pushing the boundaries between function and sculpture. With this fruit dish, Hiatt isn’t just making an object, he's inviting us to see the world through a different lens, one where the everyday is transformed into something special.