Vase by Arthur Hennessy and Sarah Tutt, h. 16 cm, Marblehead Pottery, 1908 1918, from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
“The peculiar charm of Marblehead pottery seems to lie in its beautiful simplicity of form and design, and its soft richness of color…. This pottery, which already occupies a high place in American pottery, may some day come to represent the finest work produced in this country, for Marblehead Pottery is traditional and thoroughly American.”
Gertrude Emerson, “Marblehead Pottery”
Arthur Eugene Baggs.
Marblehead Pottery was founded in 1904 by Herbert J. Hall in the coastal town of Marblehead, Massachusetts. It was originally part of a sanitarium called the Crafts Workshops, which rehabilitated “nervously exhausted patients.” Other crafts included weaving, woodworking, and metalworking. In 1908, the pottery, under the direction of Arthur Eugene Baggs, separated from the sanitarium and became a commercial enterprise.
Vase decorated with stylized chestnut leaves, Arthur Baggs, h. 12.5 cm, Marblehead Pottery, 1907, from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Marblehead’s designers included Baggs, Arthur Irvine Hennessy, and Maud Milner. Sarah Tutt was the lead decorator, with John Swallow, an experienced English potter, handling the pottery moulds and E. J. Lewis tending the kiln. Baggs bought the pottery from Herbert Hall in 1915 and ran it until it closed in 1936. Marblehead remained a small operation for many years, never employing more than six people.
Glazed earthenware vase painted with stylized lotuses, Arthur Eugene Baggs, h. 13 cm, Marblehead Pottery, 1908 1920.
Marblehead pottery is known for its simple geometric shapes and patterns, which incorporate flowers and plants in stylised, abstract forms, an aesthetic that was in keeping with the principles of the American Arts and Crafts movement. Marine forms, fish, and animals were common themes. The pottery’s colour schemes used a simple palette of muted colours in a range of matte glazes. Baggs signed pieces that were specially decorated or glazed with experimental glazes, which were his personal projects.
Marblehead Pottery won many awards during its existence, and Arthur Baggs received the Society of Arts Medal in 1925 and the Charles F. Binns Medal in 1928.
Vase with carved frieze depicting a stylized marsh landscape, Annie Aldrich and Sarah Tutt, Marblehead Pottery, circa 1909, from the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.Pine Cone Vase, Arthur Hennessy and Sarah Tutt, h. 30cm, Marblehead Pottery, c. 1907. An example of this form was exhibited at the National Craft Society Exhibition in 1907.Vase by Arthur Hennessy and Sarah Tutt, h. 22 cm, Marblehead Pottery, circa 1908.Vase with Fruit Trees, Arthur Hennessy and Sarah Tutt, h. 18 cm, Marblehead Pottery, circa 1910.Vase with stylised schooners, height 22 cm, Arthur Hennessy and Sarah Tutt, Marblehead Pottery.Blue vase with prowling panthers, height 17 cm, Marblehead Pottery, 1908 1920.Ceramic stand with a cockerel, diameter 13 cm, 1908 1916.Glazed earthenware vase, Arthur Hennessy and Sarah Tutt, Marblehead Pottery.Rare Rose Vase designed by Arthur Irvine Hennessy and executed by Sarah Tutt, 18cm high, Marblehead Pottery, circa 1910.Quatrefoil vase, 23cm high, Arthur Hennessy and Sarah Tutt, Marblehead Pottery.Decorative tile with knight on horseback, 24×24 cm, Marblehead Pottery, circa 1920.Vase with grape ornament, height 13 cm, Marblehead Pottery.Vase by Arthur Eugene Baggs, height 17 cm, Marblehead Pottery, circa 1925.Blue Crab Vase by Arthur Eugene Baggs, height 18 cm, Marblehead Pottery, 1915.Large vase with stylized apple trees, height 26 cm, Arthur Hennessy and Sarah Tutt, Marblehead Pottery, 1908 1916.Birth of Venus bowl, 18cm diameter, Marblehead Pottery, circa 1930.Decorative tile with geese in flight, 15.5 x 15.5 cm, Marblehead Pottery.Rare wall pocket, 12.5 cm high, Marblehead Pottery.Round vase with stylized flowers, height 26 cm, Arthur Hennessy and Sarah Tutt, Marblehead Pottery, 1908 1916.Rare teapot, Arthur Eugene Baggs, h. 20 cm, Marblehead Pottery, 1908 1920, an example of this shape was exhibited at the New York Society of Ceramic Arts in 1909.
