Pickard Studios Sugar And Creamer Set Hand Painted By Artist Jeremiah Vokral
Product Description And Additional Pictures
We are pleased to offer this exquisite sugar and creamer set decorated by esteemed Pickard artist Jeremiah Vokral. The creamer has both the William Guerin green stamp and the Pickard Studios brown Mark 5, which was first used at the Ravenswood Studio from 1905 to 1910. The creamer - which is somewhat smaller than the lidded sugar bowl - measures 3” at its highest point and is approximately 4” in length on the side, if measured from the spout to the end of the handle. Due to its smaller size, the creamer only has Vokral’s initial “V” to the left of the handle. The lidded sugar bowl has Pickard Mark 7, 1912-1918, which features a gold maple leaf that strategically covers the maker’s blank mark, with the round Pickard mark stamped on top of the leaf. The sugar bowl – which is beautifully transparent - stands approximately 4 “at its highest point with the lid in place, and measures approximately 5-1/2” from handle to handle. Because the sugar bowl is larger, we can see Vokral’s complete last name written on the bowl.
The sugar and creamer blanks were clearly taken from different - although very similar - sets, and the creamer is the older of the two pieces. However, this set was not a side job performed by Vokral, or else the Pickard stamps would be missing. Which leaves us wondering why two different pieces were sourced for this set. I have seen this same thing in other antique sugar and creamer sets, and I remember my dear Gran having the odd creamer and sugar in her set of china too. When I was just a girl – (more than 50 years ago!) – I used to admire the set of china Gran kept on her dining room table which she used to serve tea and coffee to her neighbors and lady friends. It was a marvelous set decorated with cobalt blue and intricate gold designs. Gran said that her mother had placed a special order for the china from a fine specialty store in New York City. Gran’s mother (and Gran too!) preferred her tea and coffee “light”, but unsweetened. Thus, the creamer that was special ordered for their set of china was larger than the sugar bowl. I think the reverse was true for this lovely Pickard creamer and sugar set decorated by Jeremiah Vokral: in this case the original owner liked to sweeten their coffee or tea but did not use much cream.
This antique Pickard Studios sugar and creamer set is generously painted with gold on the handles, base, and rims, and exquisitely depicts a fall scene of currants, branches and leaves turning from green to rust, with deeper fall colors in the background. It is truly a lovely set, painted by one of the Pickard Studio’s foremost artists. Jeremiah Vokral was a long-tenured artist with the Pickard Studio. Vokral worked for Pickard from 1898 to 1922, except for a few brief intervals. Born in Prague, Bohemia, Vokral attended the Prague Industrial Arts School, and then served as an apprentice at different European decorating shops before travelling to the United States. His specialty themes included nuts and autumn leaves, as well as naturalistic renderings of currants, grapes, scenic vellums and medallions on all-over-gold (AOG). Our sugar and creamer set, which depicts Vokral’s favorite themes, is in excellent, antique condition, with the gold and other paints strong and unblemished. You will find an occasional tiny nick or depression in the body of the porcelain that occurred while the piece was being removed from the mold. Please examine our photos and you will agree that this Pickard set is exceptional!
BRIEF HISTORY: Wilder A. Pickard was born in 1857 to a relatively affluent family that engendered a deep appreciation of the arts in Pickard. Due to a reversal of the family’s fortunes during the great depression of 1873, Pickard was unable to travel to Europe or attend university. Instead, he moved to Chicago and worked for a produce company, eventually rising to the position of office manager, where he acquired valuable sales and management experience. From there, he became Midwest representative for the Pauline Pottery, and eventually became more and more involved in the production and sale of finely decorated porcelain. Pickard porcelain quickly became a coveted commodity, and it still ranks among the finest china made anywhere in the world. Pickard’s pursuit of the finest artists, as well as its style, craftsmanship, and rigorous attention to detail and high-quality materials - such as 24K gold and pure platinum - attracts discriminating buyers looking for timeless, elegant and upscale dinnerware and serving pieces. Our beautiful creamer and sugar set painted by Jeremiah Vokral is a testament to the artistic ethic and rigor of the Pickard Studio.
