Mermaid (plate)

By Erica Deichmann-Gregg; between 1959 and 1963; porcelain, thrown; 21.2 cm diameter. CMC 89-285

Among the earliest craftspeople in Canada to set up a studio and to make a living by selling their work were Erica and Kjeld Deichmann. The Deichmanns' careers span a critical period, and in many ways embody a major change — a turning point in the history of the crafts in Canada. It was that point at which the traditional crafts gave birth to the crafts as an artistic endeavour. It was during that period that creative people established studios, independently of factories, schools or centres, and produced a body of work that came to be appreciated not only for its practicality but also for its beauty and spirit. The Deichmanns first fired their kiln in Moss Glen, New Brunswick, in August 1935, and did their last firings in Sussex, New Brunswick, in 1963.

Of this piece, Erica Deichmann-Gregg explains:
I've always been fascinated by stories and legends about the mermaid. I've made figures of them, and they decorate my pendants and little dishes. This porcelain hanging plate is a great favourite of mine. The hair has a feeling of waves and water. The mermaid is a cobalt underglaze with scraffito design.