Cream Pitcher 1910

This cream pitcher was made by William Ernst Hentschel sometime between 1900 and 1962. The dusty, almost denim-like glaze gives the set a real folksy charm; it's got that handmade feel, a real sense of the potter's touch. The surface has that lovely, slightly uneven texture that makes you want to pick it up and feel the clay. The color’s not just one note, it’s got this gradient thing going on, like a quiet sunset settling on these delicate flower forms. There's something so tender about those little stylized tulip motifs. Each one is slightly different, a tiny, deliberate variation like a handwritten note. The lines aren't perfectly straight; they wiggle and breathe, giving the piece a sense of life and movement. I'm thinking of Lucie Rie. Not so much in the style, but in the way she celebrated the simple beauty of functional forms, elevating them to something special. It reminds me that art is just a conversation, one artist riffing off another, across time.