Modern Mary

Having collected modernist dinnerware for almost two decades now, it's rare that an item comes along to stir my soul and thrill me, like the old days. I just acquired a "Country Gardens" platter designed by Mary Wright in 1946 that did just that. At first blush, it's hard to grasp that something as simple as a platter could produce such a rush. Here, though, is a piece that shows Mary's great skill as both a homemaking guru and as a sculptor.

This is a practical piece. At each end of the 13" platter, the rim rolls into an ergonomic grip for the hostess. It is comfortable to hold in front of you as you carry it to the table. Moreover, the depth of the well guarantees that juices won't overflow and peas won't roll onto the table. Your presentation will be flawless.

Beyond these utilitarian concerns, though, the platter is a functional piece of art. Let's start with the glaze, a gorgeous, two-toned beige/brown. The darker hue peeks out in the ridges of the rim and the grips, and the lighter tone has a subtle mottling to it that doesn't show well in photographs. "Country Gardens" was legendarily a flop -- never making it out of sample production -- and it's probably because these glaze effects were both difficult to produce and under-appreciated by department store buyers at the time.

The form itself is brazenly sculptural for a houseware. Its undulating, organic shape reminds me of Mary's husband Russel's "Oceana" wooden ware. In profile, the platter has surprising peaks and valleys, reminiscent of undersea topography. It also has a surrealist flavor, like the molten clocks in a Dali dreamscape. Each view is different than the next. In many ways, this shape reminds me of the art pottery designs that Charles Murphy created for Red Wing nearly a decade later. Mary's dinnerware line may have been one of the Wrights' great commercial disappointments, but I adore it for its advanced and adventurous beauty.

Comments

[Dana@mid2mod]

That's a spectacular piece. I think Russel often overshadows Mary, and many people forget that she studied under Alexander Archipenko and was an accomplished sculptor. She was a talented designer as well, and I have an idea she contributed much more to the success of their business than she receives credit for.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

I just fell into a set of Country Gardens at a thrift store and doing due diligence I went and checked for primary historical reference for the line. You couldn't imagine my surprise when I discovered that the info contained in "Bauer, Classic American Pottery" was at best inaccurate and at worst totally apocryphal.

According to a June, 19 1948 NY Times article titled "New dinnerware aids food service" the line was introduced in department stores in June of 1948 (specifically in Altman's starting on Monday June 21st, 1948) giving zero credence to the statement in "Bauer, Classic American Pottery" that the line was only produced experimentally in 1946...

Also of note is the fact that the design patent applications for designs for this line started in March 1948 and stop in April 1948 a few months before the line's commercial release.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

whips make that ..."patent applications for designs for this line started in March 1946"

Damn fingers!

[Antay Bilgutay]

Wow, Jonathan - that's a great discovery! Goes to show how we can accept a published source without question. Ann Kerr's books on Russel Wright also make this claim. Also, I am totally jealous of you finding a set of this in a thrift store. But I'll let go of my bitterness for this exciting news. :-)

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Ann Kerr is absolutely notorious for getting it wrong...

As best I can tell she was a fan who took fanatical enthusiasm on the subject of Russel Wright and presented it as if it were carefully researched fact, without care or consideration for little things like documentary support for her published claims.

To my eyes her conduct in publishing her "authoritative" books is worse by far than the sleaziest of tabloid writers. At least in the tabloids you don't necessarily believe and trust what they are saying...

[Atomicscott]

What a really great example of Mary Wright's Country Gardens, Antay. Where did you find it?