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Jazz Bowl

A work made of glazed earthenware, engobe.

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  • A work made of glazed earthenware, engobe.

Date:

c. 1931

Artist:

Viktor Schreckengost (American, 1906–2008)
Made for Cowan Pottery Studio (American, 1913–31)
Rocky River, Ohio

About this artwork

Eleanor Roosevelt originally commissioned the Jazz Bowl in celebration of her husband Franklin D. Roosevelt’s reelection as governor of New York. Viktor Schreckengost designed the vibrant vessel as an ode to New York’s architecture, music, and nightlife, and the design proved so popular it was put into small-batch production. Using Schreckengost’s template, workers scratched the design into the engobe, or black glaze, a technique called sgraffito. The final Egyptian blue glaze was then applied, representing the city at night.

Status

On View, Gallery 161

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Viktor Schreckengost

Title

Jazz Bowl

Place

Rocky River (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

c. 1931

Medium

Glazed earthenware, engobe

Inscriptions

Inscribed recto, bottom-middle, in engobe: "JA / ZZ". Signed verso, right-bottom edge, in engobe: "VIKTOR SCHRECKEGOST". Stamped bottom, right-middle, under glaze: "COWAN"; stamped bottom, bottom-right, under glaze: Cowan mark.

Dimensions

23.5 × 42.6 × 43.2 cm (9 1/4 × 16 3/4 × 17 in.)

Credit Line

Through prior acquisition of the Antiquarian Society; Thorne Rooms Exhibition Fund; bequest of Elizabeth R. Vaughan; and the Winfield Foundation

Reference Number

2004.1

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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