“Cape Cod Afternoon,” Edward Hopper (American, 1882-1967), 1936. Oil on canvas.

DEERFIELD, MASS. – Historic Deerfield’s renowned collection of ceramics will be the featured loan exhibition at the 2003 New York Ceramics Fair in New York City, January 16-19, at the National Academy of Design on Fifth Avenue. The fair, which attracted more than 6,000 visitors in 2002, will feature the inventories of some of America and Britain’s premier ceramics dealers. The loan exhibition, “: Ceramics From The Historic Deerfield Collection” will be curated by Amanda E. Lange, the museum’s associate curator and a ceramics, silver and glass specialist.

“Tea Pots, Tygs and Toasts: Ceramics From The Historic Deerfield Collections” will feature 35 objects ranging from Chinese export porcelain to New England redware. It is the first time that a significant grouping of ceramics has been shown away from the museum.

Outstanding objects on view will include an early Eighteenth Century Dutch delft monteith decorated with painted images of spraying fountains and drinking cherubs. A Chinese export porcelain teapot adorned with the emblem of the Society of the Cincinnati which was made for Dr David Townsend of Boston, and a 1760 English salt glazed stoneware punch bowl personalized for Captain Peirce of the ship, Friendship, are also among the rare objects included in the loan show. Groupings of teapots, punch bowls, delftwares and slip-decorated earthenwares will be accompanied by a brochure detailing the historical and social significance of objects on view.

During the Ceramics Fair, two members of the Historic Deerfield staff will present talks about the museum’s extensive ceramics collection. Associate curator Amanda E. Lange will speak on the topic “Posset Pots, Punch Bowls and Puzzle Jugs: Ceramics at Historic Deerfield,” and director emeritus and Senior Research Fellow Donald Friary will lecture on “‘One Bowl More and then’: Punch Drinking in Colonial America.” Friary’s lecture title is inspired by a toast in the bottom of one of Historic Deerfield’s delftware punch bowls.

Historic Deerfield is no stranger to Americana Week in New York. In 1998 masterworks from the museum’s ceramics, textiles and costume, furniture and silver collections were selected to form the centerpiece loan exhibition at the Winter Antiques Show, this country’s premier showcase for Americana dealers. “Historic Deerfield: Collection for a New England Village” revived the tradition of featuring an exhibition from a major museum of American decorative arts as the centerpiece of the 49-year-old show.

For information about Historic Deerfield’s participation in the New York Ceramics Fair, contact Amanda E. Lange at 413-775-7206 or lange@historicdeerfield.org.