1984 Montgomery County PA Glazed Redware Plate Sgraffito Decoration Bird on Green Background by Dorothy Long
Description: Very beautiful round plate with a slightly flat base and flared rounded sides rising to a coggled rim. The dish is glazed with a nice and unusual light green glaze background and has a sgraffito design of a bird in action. The plate is patterned after fragments excavated at General James Varnum's quarters at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania revolutionary war encampment. General Varnum born in Dracut, Massachusetts, 17 December, 1748; died in Marietta, Ohio', 10 January, 1789. He was among the earliest patriots of the Revolution, having raised and commanded as captain a company of minute-men from his native town East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Please carefully review the photos presented as they are part and parcel of our description.
Date: 1984.
Origin: Phoenixville, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Size: 9 3/4" in diameter and 1 3/8" high. The piece weighs over two pounds.
Maker: Dorothy Long Marks: "Dorothy Long, 1984" on bottom in block letters calligraphy. Also inscribed in hand calligraphy "Patterned after fragments excavated at General Varnum's Quarters; Valley Forge" in addition it has what looks like a scratched-out rectangle below the name of the artist.
Distinguishing Characteristics - Most Interesting About The Piece: This is a rather unusual piece and despite the fact that we have been dealing in redware and collecting it for a long time, we have never seen anything like it as far as color and design are concerned. Condition: Plate is in excellent condition. It has no cracks, repairs, chips or hairlines. It does have general fine crazing to the glaze, but nothing to distract from its beauty or quality. It also has some under glaze brown color at about 12:00 o'clock which is original to the making. Just a beautiful and unusual plate.
In Closing: This is a beautiful and unusual redware plate, which seldom comes by. Definitely deserves a prominent spot in your redware collection.
