Kutztown University - Keystonia Yearbook (Kutztown, PA)

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In the sgraffito, on the other hand, the whole piece of pottery was dipped in the slip and cov- ered entirely. Then the design was scratched in the slip. Thus the slip-traced pottery was characterized by a light design on a dark background; and the sgraffito, by a dark design on a light background. Ornamental gift-dishes”, given in much the same way as our Christmas cards or Valentines, and pie plates, containing the famous wide variety of pies, were two special types of pottery frequently found. Another interesting phase of this folk-art was the fractur-work, or illumination” as it is some- times called. By illumination is meant the decorations or designs on the pages of books, man- uscripts, or documents. The designs were applied in a water color by means of a quill made from geese, ducks, or crows' feathers. The art was usually practiced by clergymen and school- masters who in this way added small sums now and then to their unimpressive salaries. Illumination was used on taufschein (birth certificates), eheschein (marriage certificates), tod- schein (death certificates), and vorschrift (samplers of writing). Almost every family had at least one piece of fractur-work. For, in addition to these already mentioned, it was put in hymn collections, book-markers, wall texts, and even the family Bible. The designs were much the same as in all other places: birds, flowers, trailing vines, precise and formal trees, geometric figures, and many flourishes and scrolls. The colors were originally the typical bright ones, but with the coming of the printing press, the colors and designs grew weaker and weaker, finally dying out altogether. It is interesting to note, that, so many years later, fractur-work is again coming into vogue, and it is being prized just as much as it was many years ago. Now we come to a phase of the folk art which many consider the most delightful of all—namely, the furniture. Here, as everywhere else, were the bright colors so typical of the people. All of the furniture was strong sturdy stuff, designed to last for years and years of hard wear. The greatest care, however, was given to the making of chests and cupboards, for it seems that the tradition of the times, like that of the Middle Ages, was that it was a symbol of respectability and thrift to own a good chest.” As the family increased its wealth, it added to its store of chests and cupboards. V WT rr rr

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fis to whether or not the designs had any significance, there is much controversy with many convincing arguments on either side. On the one side is the contention that originally the de- signs and decorations were richly symbolic of Scriptural passages, birds and flowers repre- senting Christ, who is supposed to have called himself these things. The tulip represented the love of God, or love in general, with birds etc. representing various virtues or religious beliefs. However the general assumption is that any such meanings attached to the designs in the be- ginning, lost their significance as they were handed down from generation to generation, with the result that when the Pennsylvania Germans used them, they were only faintly aware of symbolism. It is hard to imagine in this day and age, when we take plates and dishes more or less for granted, the important role which the Pennsylvania German potter must have played in the lives of his people. He was a prominent figure in his community, probably competing with the country doctor in prestige, for it was by his hand that all the household utensils were made, to- gether with the vases, flower pots, and other ornamental pottery that helped to beautify and brighten the simple lives of the people. Had it not been for his skill, there would have been none of the huge jugs in which were kept the milk, apple butter, and other things which were put up” for the winter, fimong his other contributions were mugs, tumblers, vegetable and meat dishes, pie plates, clay pipes, tile, and even toys for the children. The pottery itself was of two kinds: slip-traced” or slip-painted”, and sgraffito”, slip-en- graved”, or scratched”, the distinction between the two lying in the way the designs were applied to the piece of pottery and ultimately, in the appearance of the pottery itself. The slip”, usually of a lighter color than the clay of the pottery, was a mixture of fine-textured clay and enough water to permit its being poured. In the slip-traced” pottery it was applied by means of a slip-cup , a small cup-shaped instrument having at one end a spout in which a long quill was inserted. In tracing the design, the liquid clay was allowed to trickle through the quill and thus painted” on the piece of pottery. Here, the design stood out in relief. On the dishes for everyday use, the slip was pressed down and embedded in the clay, to prevent its becoming cracked and peeling off, but on the ornamental dishes, the “gift-dishes”, the designs remained in relief. 16

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MADE.BY J.HAW; MAN.1 LOBAGHS. iss With the communities as sparsely settled as they were, it was natural that the interests of each individual should be centered around the home and family. Great importance was attached to any family event, particularly engagements and weddings. For this reason, the wedding chests and bridal boxes were among the most important and cherished articles that the crafts- man could produce. The wedding chest was very similar to our modern hope chests, as far as design and purpose are concerned for in it the bride kept all of the things which she planned to use in her future home. Beautifully woven spreads were made by hand and kept safely tucked away in some corner of the wedding chest with samplers and lovely handiwork of all kinds. The chest itself was decorated with the usual designs—plumed knights on horseback, birds, tulips, fuchsia, and forget-me-nots. The designs and general pattern of the chest differed ac- cording to the locality. Skilled cabinet-makers travelled from farm to farm, within a compara- tively small area, of course, and made the chests, each in his own particular style, using for the most part the same general designs with a few variations. The most elaborate chests hav- ing sunken panels, mouldings, and supporting arches, came from the section around Lancaster County. The bride box was a much smaller round or oval-shaped box. It was a gift from the groom to his bride a few days before the wedding and was filled with all sorts of ribbons, laces, and other bits of finery dear to women's hearts. The inside of the box was quite plain, but the outside was decorated with the human figures, lovebirds, hearts, the ever-present tulip, and scrolls. Often there v ere inscriptions, such as: Those who live in honor, let no man put asunder.” As in all other forms of their art, Pennsylvania German ironwork was a consummation of tradi- tions that had been handed down to them from earlier generations. When these Germans fled from Holland and southern Germany in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to a land free for all worshippers, they brought with them the rude cast iron art of the Middle Ages, an art that was preserved largely by Luther's Bible through the Protestant Reformation. As a result this form of Pennsylvanian art work, although original in its patterns and designs, was but a con- tinuation of the ironwork done by the German craftsmen in the seventeenth century. 18