id: 109968 accession number: 1928.571 share license status: CC0 url: https://clevelandart.org/art/1928.571 updated: 2025-02-08 23:51:16.821000 Fan Dancer, 1928. Waylande Gregory (American, 1905–1971), Cowan Pottery Studio (America, Rocky River, Ohio, 1920–1931). Glazed ceramic; overall: 30.5 x 15.2 cm (12 x 6 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Educational Purchase Fund 1928.571 title: Fan Dancer title in original language: series: series in original language: creation date: 1928 creation date earliest: 1928 creation date latest: 1928 current location: creditline: Educational Purchase Fund copyright: --- culture: America, Ohio, Cleveland technique: glazed ceramic department: Decorative Art and Design collection: Decorative Arts type: Ceramic find spot: catalogue raisonne: --- CREATORS * Waylande Gregory (American, 1905–1971) - designer * Cowan Pottery Studio (America, Rocky River, Ohio, 1920–1931) - maker The Cowan Pottery Studio was founded by R. Guy Cowan in Lakewood, Ohio, United States in 1912. It moved to Rocky River, Ohio in 1920, and operated until 1931, when the financial stress of the Great Depression resulted in its bankruptcy. Cowan Pottery produced both artistic and commercial work in a variety of styles influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement, Art Deco, Chinese ceramics, and modern sculpture.

During its two decades of operation, a number of well-known Cleveland School artists worked with Cowan at the studio: Elizabeth Anderson, Arthur Eugene Baggs, Alexander Blazys, Paul Bogatay, Edris Eckhardt, Waylande Gregory, A. Drexler Jacobson, Raoul Josset, Paul Manship, José Martin, Herman Matzen, F. Luis Mora, Elmer L. Novotny, Margaret Postgate, Stephen Rebeck, Guy L. Rixford, Viktor Schreckengost, Elsa Vick Shaw, Walter Sinz, Frank N. Wilcox, H. Edward Winter, and Thelma Frazier Winter. With the exception of Guy Cowan, himself, Waylande Gregory designed more pieces for the pottery than anyone else. Among Cowan's finest pieces were three limited edition figures relating to dance, including "Salome" (1928), "The Nautch Dancer," (1930), and "The Burlesque Dancer," (1930). For the last two, Gregory made sketches from the side of the stage of the well-known Ziegfeld Follies star, Gilda Grey, when she was performing in Cleveland. --- measurements: Overall: 30.5 x 15.2 cm (12 x 6 in.) state of the work: edition of the work: support materials: inscriptions: --- CURRENT EXHIBITIONS title: The May Show: 10th Annual Exhibition of Works by Cleveland Artists and Craftsmen opening date: 1928-04-25T05:00:00 The May Show: 10th Annual Exhibition of Works by Cleveland Artists and Craftsmen. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 25-June 3, 1928). title: Cleveland Art Comes of Age: 1919-1940 opening date: 1989-06-28T04:00:00 Cleveland Art Comes of Age: 1919-1940. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 28-September 10, 1989). title: Burchfield to Schreckengost: Cleveland Art of the Jazz Age opening date: 2004-03-28T00:00:00 Burchfield to Schreckengost: Cleveland Art of the Jazz Age. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 28-July 18, 2004). --- LEGACY EXHIBITIONS * {'description': 'Cleveland, Ohio: The Cleveland Museum of Art; March 28 - July 18, 2004. "Burchfield to Schreckengost: Cleveland Art of the Jazz Age", no exhibition catalogue.', 'opening_date': '2004-03-28T00:00:00'} --- PROVENANCE Purchased from the 10th Exhibition of Cleveland Artists and Craftsmen. date: footnotes: citations: --- fun fact: digital description: wall description: --- RELATED WORKS --- CITATIONS R. Guy Cowan Entry Card to 1928 May Show. Cleveland Museum of Art May Show Records, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. page number: url: https://archive.org/details/CMAMS01491/page/n1 --- IMAGES web: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1928.571/1928.571_web.jpg print: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1928.571/1928.571_print.jpg full: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1928.571/1928.571_full.tif