Jug c. 1936

Curator: Immediately, there’s a dreamy, nostalgic feel to this piece. It reminds me of a childhood drawing or a cherished antique print. Editor: This is “Jug” by Yolande Delasser, made around 1936 using ink and drawing techniques. It feels less like a standalone artwork, more like a study or a preparatory sketch, wouldn’t you agree? Curator: Absolutely, but even as a sketch, there’s a narrative thread. That central blue figure… Is it a dog? The stylized depiction has such naive charm, and the plants sprouting from its tail—are those plants or antlers, perhaps both? Editor: I'm curious about Delasser's intention here. The inscription "A.E. Norton, Bennington VT" in the upper right, coupled with the outlined jug on the upper left, points to a regional pottery tradition, maybe even advertising material. Curator: Exactly! Notice how the animal and the jug mirror each other with the indigo ink against that soft neutral backdrop. It’s like two worlds colliding - a utilitarian object transformed into a mythic being. I read something profoundly rooted in history. Editor: Which, if we think about it, reinforces the commodification of rural life at the time and into the early 20th century, packaged for consumption through these stylized images on stoneware. But why the dog? Curator: Dogs are ancient symbols: protectors, guides. By placing it at the heart of this stoneware sketch, it speaks to loyalty, home, a sense of place and belonging… all tied up in those little blue dots and the dreamy ink wash. Editor: And what about that fragmented fence it's leaping in front of? Perhaps highlighting boundaries between untamed and cultivated? Interesting how visual codes embedded in seemingly simple design speaks volumes. Curator: Seeing all the marks together has certainly opened doors to many histories held here. It is both rustic, intimate, symbolic and complex simultaneously. Editor: Indeed. Delasser has really woven a fascinating interplay between design, utility, and embedded meaning, even if unintentional!