UND Pottery Collection

 

Artist Bio

Margaret Kelly Cable, born in Minnesota in 1884, moved to Minneapolis in the early 1900s to study ceramics at the Guild of Handicrafts. In 1909, Earle Babcock, instructor of Chemistry, English, and Geology at the University of North Dakota, started the Ceramics Department to study the valuable clay resources North Dakota had to offer and he asked Cable to head it.

Cable began teaching at UND in 1910 while continuing her education in the summers, working and studying under famous ceramists around the country. At UND, Cable was known for interesting lectures and demonstrations. In 1915, Cable was accepted into the American Ceramic Society (ACS). She went on to write several papers on her work and research at UND that were published in the ACS’s journal.

Cable gained national recognition when she was chosen to be “North Dakota’s Outstanding Woman” at the 1927 Women’s World Fair in Chicago, IL. That same year, Cable built her first home, on the campus at the University of North Dakota. The home was demolished in 2006. 1927 proved to be a successful year for Cable when she was highlighted by the New York Times “Current Activities in the World of Art” section on August 21st. In the article, Cable explained the research UND Ceramics was doing with North Dakota clay. In 1933, Cable attended the Century of Progress Exposition where her work was described as an “outstanding exhibition of United States pottery”.

Margaret Kelly Cable retired from UND in 1949 after 39 years of teaching. Her work is remembered for the high level of skill it exhibits as well as its representation of native plants and animals of North Dakota, Native American cultural symbols, and art deco and art nouveau inspired styles. After retiring from her successful career at the University of North Dakota, she moved to California with her sister, Flora Cable Huckfield, another influential UND ceramist, to be closer to family. In 1951, she earned the Binns Medal of Excellence in Art from Alfred University and the American Ceramics Society. Cable passed away October 31, 1960. Over 100 years after she was hired to run it, the UND Ceramics Department is still in operation today.

Sources:

p. 3-13 University of North Dakota Pottery: The Cable Years by Margaret Libby Barr, Donald Miller, and Robert Barr

https://tinyurl.com/yckhn7kn

https://tinyurl.com/rceaauhc

https://tinyurl.com/2p8br429

https://tinyurl.com/k7u4h8x8

https://tinyurl.com/2p9cnnad

https://tinyurl.com/2p98vmr5

https://tinyurl.com/2p8ma2b7

https://tinyurl.com/5p56ck9k

https://tinyurl.com/2s3jv3ua

Preview

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Years Attended School

1910-1949

Size

5.5 x 8

Creation Date

1926

Date of Work

1926

Identification #

C CBL 118-0720 gift

Description

Blue Sgrafitto images of Dakota Maidflower turkey images, flax, clover, corn, wheat, cows, sheep, hogs. The crown-jewel of the of the Cable era, it was commissioned by then Governor Sorlie in 1926.

From text panel:

"In 1929, Governor Arthur Sorlie commissioned Margaret Cable to make a unique artwork promoting the state's agriculture and industry. Her North Dakota Products Vase references nineteen state-based products and state symbols, including crops like wheat and flax, several varieties of livestock and the state flower, the prairie rose. An elegant symbol of North Dakota's progress in the early twentieth century, the vase was exhibited around the state to wide acclaim."

Art Descriptors

blue (color); sgraffito (technique); flax; cows; livestock; vases

UND Seal

No

Cable Seal

Yes

Identifying Markings

M Cable 1926 Seal. North Dakota (handpainted) Products, 1926 made for Governor A.G. Sorlie by Margret Kelly Cable handpainted. [Known as the Sorlie Vase].

Condition

Excellent, slight crazing

Status

On display.

Location

Gorecki Alumni Center

Streaming Media

Rights

Images are provided for educational purposes only and may not be reproduced for commercial use. Images may be protected by artist copyright. A credit line is required to be used for any public non-commercial educational purpose. The credit line must include, “Image courtesy of the University of North Dakota.”

Keywords

Swine; Turkeys, Pottery

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