Fan Dancer (1928): Art, History and Details

Fan Dancer (1928) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is Waylande Gregory (American, 1905–1971); Cowan Pottery Studio (America, Rocky River, Ohio, 1920–1931).

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

A stamp on the bottom of this ceramic sculpture indicates that it was produced at the Cowan Pottery studios. Although unsigned, it was most likely designed by Waylande Gregory, one of the studio’s premiere artists. In 1928 the studio’s founder, R. Guy Cowan, brought Gregory to Cleveland from Chicago, where he was developing a reputation as a talented young sculptor. Cowan Pottery, located in Lakewood (1912–17) and later Rocky River (1919–32), Ohio, began producing ceramic sculpture in the mid-1920s, launching its most fertile creative period. Cowan employed a large team of talented artists at the studio, including Walter Sinz, Thelma Frazier Winter, and Viktor Schreckengost. The studio brought national fame to Cleveland ceramists, but was forced to close due to economic circumstances in 1932.

Object facts

• Title: Fan Dancer
• Date: 1928
• Creator attribution: Waylande Gregory (American, 1905–1971); Cowan Pottery Studio (America, Rocky River, Ohio, 1920–1931)
• Culture: America, Ohio, Cleveland
• Type: Ceramic
• Technique: glazed ceramic
• Dimensions: Overall: 30.5 x 15.2 cm (12 x 6 in.)
• Collection: Decorative Arts
• Department: Decorative Art and Design
• Accession number: 1928.571

Collection credit

Educational Purchase Fund

Further reading listed by the museum

• R. Guy Cowan Entry Card to 1928 May Show. Cleveland Museum of Art May Show Records, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.