Tobacco jar c. 1915

This tobacco jar was made by Florence Douglas Willets; we don't have a date for when it was made, but it just breathes craft and process. The glaze is matte, kinda like a silent film, all moody blues, with these ghostly floral motifs poking through. It's like she was coaxing the clay to life, not forcing it, you know? Look closely, and you can see how the glaze pools in certain spots, thick enough to catch the light, thin enough to let the clay's texture peek through. The artist’s fingerprints are all over it, metaphorically speaking. And that lid? It's got this gentle curve that practically begs you to reach out and touch it. Willets’ work reminds me a bit of George Ohr, that "mad potter of Biloxi," who twisted and contorted his clay into these wild, expressive forms. Both artists embrace the messiness of making, the inherent quirks and imperfections that give a piece its soul. It's all about the conversation between the artist and the material, the push and pull, the give and take.