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This attractive pair of ceramic dancer figurines, — “Bruce” and “Beth” — were designed and sculpted by Betty Harrington and produced by Ceramic Arts Studios of Madison, Wisconsin. The figures wear gloved and hooded robes in matching chartreuse colored glaze with brownish speckles. Their faces are sculpted and glazed in the wonderful detail typical of CAS work. Each piece is stamped with the figure’s name and the CAS mark. Bruce stands 6-1/4″ high by 5″ wide by 2″ deep. Beth is 4-3/4″ high by 5-1/2″ wide by 2″ deep. Both figures are in excellent condition with no chips, cracks or crazing.
About the Maker:
From 1942 until its closing in 1956, the Ceramic Arts Studio of Madison, Wisconsin produced decorative figurines, wall plaques, salt and pepper sets, and head vases. Distributed to better department and gift stores across the country, CAS work was valued for its inventive, appealing designs and consistently high production quality. University of Wisconsin student Lawrence Rabbitt originally formed the company in 1940 and was later joined by fellow student Reuben Sand.
The company is primarily know for the designs of Betty Harrington, however, whose career as a potter began in 1942 when she dropped by CAS and asked the studio fire a figure she’d modeled from clay found in her back yard. Immediately recognizing her artistic ability, Sand invited her to design for the studio and thus began a remarkable 14 year engagement in which she designed over 800 individual pieces. Although modestly priced when produced, her work — in particular figural pieces inspired by the modern dance movement — are now highly prized by collectors of vintage ceramic decorative art.
