All the China

February 2, 2018

The McFaddin-Ward China Collection

The McFaddin women adored china. Mamie McFaddin Ward and her mother Ida owned some thirty-six sets! Not all were dinnerware, however. They included breakfast, tea, and dessert sets too, and they happily used them all.

New exhibits featuring ceramics from the McFaddin-Ward House Collection are now on display at the Visitor Center.

The exhibits are of select Dresden and fine china and dinnerware. The pieces originate from factories in Austria, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, United Kingdom, and the USA. This is a rare chance to see a large sample of plates all at once. The exhibit will be on display through Summer 2018.

“Stuff” – Past Visitor Center Exhibit

January 6, 2016

The McFaddin-Ward House was built in 1905-1906 in a Beaux-Arts Colonial style. Its furnishings and décor reflected the lifestyle of the family that lived there for seventy-five years. The family collected objects and chose to live with things they liked. This reflected their tastes and the changing trends of the times. Some objects they chose were more classical and others more humorous or trendy. In this exhibition case we feature some of each of these types.

Fan, dyed and woven raffia grass on metal frame, date unknown

Dog (Spaniel), glazed earthenware figurine, Staffordshire, England, ca. 1920

Bronze, Chinese style Cloisonné vase with Tao-tieh mask design, ca. 1900

Lively Tableware — Past Visitor Center Exhibit

January 10, 2014

The McFaddins collected a lot over their years spent in the house, including many pieces destined for the two dining areas of the home.If you’ve visited the museum, you’ve seen examples of these lavish tablescapes, often set with exquisite pieces of china, silver, cut glass, and others.

A new exhibit at the McFaddin-Ward House Museum’s Visitor Center is showcasing a few items that brought color and playfulness to these elegant table settings.

“Lively Tableware” features food-themed serving pieces from a variety of countries, including Japan, Czechoslovakia, Italy, and the United States.

These colored glass marmalade jars were made around 1918, by the Steuben Glass Company in Corning, New York. They were given to Mamie and Carroll Ward in 1919, as wedding gifts.

They were produced about the same time the Steuben Glass Company was purchased by the Corning Glass Works. At that time, Corning halted all production of the Steuben’s colored glass. It wasn’t until 1921 that production began again, but was stopped completely in 1933.

This ceramic fruit was probably produced in the Italian town of Bassano del Grappa, located in the northeast Veneto region. These pieces are marked only “Italy,” but are almost certainly products of Bassano del Grappa potters, probably dating from the 1920s or 1930s.

The town is very old, dating back to at least the 2^nd century. In the 15^th century, it developed a community of artisans noted for their work in wool, silk, and especially ceramics. These fruit pieces are indicative of that thriving industry.

There are many other pieces on display. The exhibit is located at the Visitor Center, located at 1906 Calder. It can be viewed anytime the museum is open, and will be on display through May. Come by and check out the “lively” pieces!

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