The Gates Pottery of Illinois was another of the 'Art Pottery' manufacturers
during this period. William Gates, the owner, produced a line under the
Teco trademark between 1885 and 1941. Pots were molded from handmade originals
and glazed in distinctive crystalline and mat glazes, such as Teco Green,
seen here in this vase. Gates employed architects and designers to produce
prototypes for him, including Frank Lloyd Wright, who designed 4 pieces.
Gates, while clearly influenced by Arts and Crafts ideas as well as art
nouveau styles, believed that there was a place for the use of molds in
the ceramic process. He had heard Frank Lloyd Wright speak in Chicago in
1901, in his famous 'Hull House' speech, in which craftsmen were encouraged
to 'embrace' the machine rather than blindly reject it. Wright, or course,
extensively used molds to create the architectural elements of his building
surfaces. Gates' use of the sinuous line of art nouveau is on full display
in this vase. He believed that the problem with hand made articles was that
their prices were too high for the general public to afford, and that by
a judicious use of molds and machine processes that well designed, beautiful
objects could be made for the mass market.
Teco Vase, Earthenware, 1910
