| Plate. | Page. | |
| I | Throwing.—Lesson II, 1 | [80] |
| II | Throwing.—Lesson II, 2 | [81] |
| III | Throwing.—Lesson II, 3 | [82] |
| IV | Throwing.—Lesson III, 1 | [83] |
| V | Throwing.—Lesson III, 2 | [86] |
| VI | Throwing.—Lesson IV, 1 | [87] |
| VII | Throwing.—Lesson IV, 2 | [89] |
| VIII | Throwing.—Lesson V | [90] |
| IX | Throwing.—Lesson VI, 1 | [92] |
| X | Throwing.—Lesson VI, 2 | [93] |
| XI | Throwing.—Lesson VII | [95] |
| XII | Throwing.—Lesson VIII, 1 | [96] |
| XIII | Throwing.—Lesson VIII, 2 | [97] |
| XIV | Making Large Pieces. The First Section | [109] |
| XV | Making Large Pieces. Measuring the Foundation of the Second Section | [110] |
| XVI | Making Large Pieces. Drawing up the Second Section | [111] |
| XVII | Making Large Pieces. Shaping the Third Section | [112] |
| XVIII | Making Large Pieces. The Three Sections Completed | [113] |
| XIX | Making Large Pieces. Turning the Edge of the First Section | [114] |
| XX | Making Large Pieces. Finishing the Bottom of the First Section | [116] |
| XXI | Making Large Pieces. Checking the Size of the Second Section | [117] |
| XXII | Making Large Pieces. Fitting Together Dry | [119] |
| XXIII | Making Large Pieces. Setting the Third Section in Place | [120] |
| XXIV | Making Large Pieces. The Three Sections Set Together in the Rough | [121] |
| XXV | Making Large Pieces. The Finished Vase | [122] |
INTRODUCTION
The Present Need
Many times it has been proven, in the history of the world, that it is not possible to force a reform or a novelty upon an unwilling people. Such things are organic. In order to live they must grow and in order to grow must live. No attempt will be made, therefore, in these pages to foster an idea or propound a thought which may exist only in the predilection of the author.
The trend of the present demand, a persistent growth of several years, is towards a personal and individual expression in the crafts or industrial arts. This tendency is the natural swing of the pendulum from the machine-made product of the manufactory which in its turn was the inevitable result of mechanical invention.
When the artisan was an artist and the designer a craftsman, there was but a limited production of industrial art. The articles made were expensive and for the wealthy alone. The common utensils necessary to the household were made on the farm and were of the rudest possible character. But with the gradual development of machinery there came an abandonment of rural activities, a flocking to the city, manufacturing on a large scale, lower prices, and a huge output. This has, of course, taken many years to develop, but the utmost limit of the swing has been reached and the question is "What next?" Will the factory cease its labors? Will output decrease in bulk and improve in quality? Will there ever, in a word, be a return to medieval conditions? Not only may all these questions be answered in the negative but it may be stated with all sincerity that there is no need for any other answer.
What then, are not manufactured products as now put forth a menace to the art life of the nation? Are not the people being educated in the use of and belief in machine-made ornament and meretricious display? Perhaps so, but no good purpose will be served by a ruthless condemnation of these things. Art appreciation is a most subtle thing and no one may dictate to his neighbor as to what he should or should not admire. It took time for the public to understand and patronize the product of the machine even though the price was favorable. It will take time for an appreciation of craftsmanship to influence the land but this consummation will most assuredly come.
On the one hand there is the manufactory, teeming with "hands," riotous with wheels, turning out its wares by the thousand and supplying the demand of the many; on the other, there is the artist-artisan. He labors at his bench in sincere devotion to his chosen vocation. His work is laborious and exacting, he can make but a few things and for them he must ask a price relatively high. Both these conditions are necessary. The craftsman cannot supply the need of the people and the manufacturer has no time or thought for disinterested production. Herein lies the need and here is the mission of the individual worker.
In every age it is given to some to discern more than the multitude and it is theirs to teach. The people are anxious to learn, are eager to be led. What they demand will be manufactured and so by the irresistible lever of public opinion the man at the bench, if he be true to himself and to his craft, may move the millionaire manufacturer to make wares which, if not truly artistic, shall at least be inoffensive. Such a mission is not to be accomplished without suffering. The man who essays to attack a giant must be sure both of his ground and of his personal condition. He who would establish his craft in the knowledge and affection of men must possess enthusiasm, skill, discrimination and infinite patience.
It is not enough to discern the good, the hand must follow the brain with diligent care. Furthermore, it is not enough to be able to make things well, one must also make them good and know it. The artist-artisan must have courage to destroy that which is below standard, and self-denial to resist the temptation to sell an unworthy product.