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Pleasing to the Eye: The Decorative Arts of North Carolina

For the first time, the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh will open a permanent exhibit gallery devoted to decorative arts. Pleasing to the Eye: The Decorative Arts of North Carolina will showcase hundreds of items that reveal the craftsmanship and artistic expression of generations of North Carolinians. At every turn, visitors will experience a feast for the eyes, with beautiful displays of paintings, pottery, furniture, needlework, silver, quilts, metalwork, costumes and more. This large exhibit opens Saturday, Aug. 18, and admission is free.

This side chair, ca. 1780-1800, was made in Perquimans County and is based upon the English neat and plain style. Image credit: N.C. Museum of History

Objects in Pleasing to the Eye span from the 17th century to the 20th century and serve as a tangible link to North Carolinians, past and present. From a 1639 childhood portrait of King Charles II of England to a cup and saucer created in 1994 by sixth-generation Tar Heel potter Travis J. Owens, the exhibit highlights the state’s rich decorative arts tradition and the influence of diverse cultural groups.

“Decorative objects often reflect the particular ideas, values and beliefs of the individual artisans and the society in which they lived,” says Patricia Marshall, curator of furnishings and decorative arts. “The items can be either functional or ornamental, aesthetically pleasing or historically important.”

The exhibit’s wide variety of objects, ranging from highly ornamental rifles to brightly colored quilts, give visitors glimpses of different eras in North Carolina’s history. Several examples from the exhibit follow.

This Chinese porcelain tea caddy was owned by Lydia Bonner, a participant in the 1774 Edenton Tea Party. Image credit: N.C. Museum of History During the 1700s, many colonists furnished their homes with goods imported from England and China. In Pleasing to the Eye, visitors will see imported English ceramics and a Chinese porcelain tea caddy owned by Lydia Bonner, a participant in the 1774 Edenton Tea Party. Luxuries, such as coin silver teawares owned by John London, deputy secretary of colonial North Carolina under Gov. William Tryon, are on view. Artisans brought to North Carolina popular styles and patterns from Britain. An example of the British “neat” and “plain” style appears in a side chair, ca. 1780-1800, made in Perquimans County.

During the first half of the 19th century, many African American artisans worked as cabinetmakers, silversmiths, carvers, weavers, tailors and seamstresses. Though many were enslaved, some free craftsmen, such as Thomas Day from Caswell County, achieved wealth, status and privilege, in spite of the racially based legal and societal constraints. From his shop in Milton, Day and his craftsmen produced finely crafted furniture, such as a mahogany sideboard, ca. 1840-1855, on view in Pleasing to the Eye.

This Persian jar, ca. 1940-1945, was made by Benjamin W. Owen Sr. and features Jugtown’s most prized original glaze, Chinese blue. Image credit: N.C. Museum of History

In the early 20th century, Jacques and Juliana Busbee founded Jugtown Pottery near Seagrove in Moore County and introduced North Carolina pottery to a national market. Jacques developed formulas for the glazes, and potters Charles G. Teague and Benjamin W. Owen Sr. began producing pieces that combined old and new shapes for a new Jugtown style. Numerous works by Owen appear in the exhibit, such as Ming bowls, candlesticks, teapots, whiskey jugs and vases. Visitors will also see items by Owen’s grandson, Benjamin W. Owen III, and other members of the Owen family.

The decorative arts gallery will feature a changing selection of traveling exhibits, the first of which is Transformations: Cherokee Baskets in the 20th Century, organized by the Asheville Art Museum. Opening Aug. 18 and running through March 16, 2008, the exhibit examines how Cherokee basketmaking has evolved over the past century.

This small sampling from Pleasing to the Eye just skims the surface of the visual treats awaiting visitors to the N.C. Museum of History. Stop by . . . but plan on staying awhile because you’ll want to check out treasures in every nook and cranny.

Pleasing to the Eye is presented as part of “History Happens Here,” a yearlong celebration of North Carolina history, initiated by the Department of Cultural Resources.

For more information about the museum, call 919-807-7900.

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