Smith Art Gallery & Museum | Details | Strathyre Pottery bowl

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Actions Displays	Strathyre Pottery bowl Remove from selection Add to selection Reproduction Download mediaDownload as zip file Object number20933 TitleStrathyre Pottery bowl Creator Mary. E. Ramsay (maker)‎ DescriptionThis large, colourful bowl was made by Mary Ramsay of the Strathyre Pottery in the 1920s. The outside has been sponge-painted in a cheerful yellow, and hidden on the base is a painted cat, the mark often found on Ramsay’s work. The inside of the bowl has been decorated with the artist’s favourite motif, the clematis: these simply shaped flowers swirl around in a riot of colour. Mary Ramsay (1896-1963) studied at the Glasgow School of Art from 1915. There she met fellow artists Jessie Wilson and Maggie McDonald. Having studied ceramic decoration as part of the course, the three women set up shop at The Studio in Strathyre near Callander in 1926. They were part of a generation of female artists that flourished in Scotland throughout the first half of the 20th century. They imported pottery blanks from various manufacturers and decorated them by hand. All three artists produced colourful floral designs that were popular during this period. The pieces were then taken to be fired – Ramsay herself made the trip to Bo’ness twice every week until around 1940. Despite the tough economic climate of the 1930-40s, they kept the business going for nearly thirty years. It is wonderful to be able to represent these locally based female artists in our collection. Production placeStrathyre Production period1920s Object nameBowl ceramics Materialceramic TechniqueThrown Dimensions whole Diameter: 320 mm whole Height: 80 mm

Reproduction

Download mediaDownload as zip file

Object number20933

TitleStrathyre Pottery bowl

DescriptionThis large, colourful bowl was made by Mary Ramsay of the Strathyre Pottery in the 1920s. The outside has been sponge-painted in a cheerful yellow, and hidden on the base is a painted cat, the mark often found on Ramsay’s work. The inside of the bowl has been decorated with the artist’s favourite motif, the clematis: these simply shaped flowers swirl around in a riot of colour. Mary Ramsay (1896-1963) studied at the Glasgow School of Art from 1915. There she met fellow artists Jessie Wilson and Maggie McDonald. Having studied ceramic decoration as part of the course, the three women set up shop at The Studio in Strathyre near Callander in 1926. They were part of a generation of female artists that flourished in Scotland throughout the first half of the 20th century. They imported pottery blanks from various manufacturers and decorated them by hand. All three artists produced colourful floral designs that were popular during this period. The pieces were then taken to be fired – Ramsay herself made the trip to Bo’ness twice every week until around 1940. Despite the tough economic climate of the 1930-40s, they kept the business going for nearly thirty years. It is wonderful to be able to represent these locally based female artists in our collection.

Production placeStrathyre

Production period1920s

Object nameBowl

ceramics

Materialceramic

TechniqueThrown

Dimensions

whole Diameter: 320 mm
whole Height: 80 mm