The ceramic objects found in this exhibition are obviously of a kind. Birds have long been a common subject for sculptural objects meant for the home. In particular, domestic poultry—ducks, geese, guineas, pigeons, and turkeys, with chickens chief among them—are animals that have been deeply integrated into our visual culture. They are signs and symbols of prosperity, familial health and wealth, and avatars in children’s stories and more recently of agricultural independence. Their likeness can be found on wallpaper and china patterns, decorative hand towels, mass-produced porcelain figurines, and nearly any other decorative object we might associate with the home. They are also a perennial subject in North Carolina’s rich pottery tradition.
