From National Park Service Website:
Pewabic Pottery, a pottery studio, was established in 1903 by ceramic artist Mary Chase Perry. Pewabic is a Chippewa Indian term that means "clay with a copper color." Concerned with raising the artistic standards of American ceramicists and influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, Perry enjoyed designing pottery pieces in simple shapes and used spectacular irridescent glazes in rose, green, gold, purple, and copper. She was known for her early china painting work and brought her studio national fame by innovating an unusual iridescent glaze.
Born in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in 1867, Perry was interested in art from a young age. As a child she painted eggshells and fabrics and even sold ornately decorated Christmas cards. After attending art school, Mary Chase Perry partnered with Horace Caulkins, inventor of high heat kilns. He had developed a new kiln that fired pottery at very high temperatures. Using this kiln, Perry experimented with clay glazes, eventually creating the signature iridescent glaze associated with Pewabic Pottery.
This type of pottery quickly became popular, and many Detroit residents and businesses placed orders for pottery pieces and iridescent tiles. Partners in business, Perry worked as the chief artist while Caulkins managed the business side. Under Perry's leadership, Pewabic Pottery gained national recognition for its iridescent glazes, as well as for its production of architectural tiles that were installed in such buildings as the Guardian Building and the Detroit Institute of Art.
Elsewhere:
The iridescent glaze formula has been called one of her greatest achievements, was never shared, and was lost with her death. “Once you discover something on your own, it really belongs to you. You can’t discover anything important by copying.”
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