Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Dante Alighieri dănˈtē, Ital. dänˈtā älēgyĕˈrē [key], 1265–1321, Italian poet, b. Florence. Dante was the author of the Divine Comedy, one of the greatest of literary classics. Dante's ...

(Encyclopedia) poor law, in English history, legislation relating to public assistance for the poor. Early measures to relieve pauperism were usually designed to suppress vagrancy and begging. In 1601, England passe...

(Encyclopedia) china marks, potter's trademark or signature, incised in the plastic clay before firing or printed before glazing on the bottom of the piece to identify it as his product. The practice was adopted by ...

(Encyclopedia) Rookwood pottery, American artware. Made in Cincinnati by one of the earliest American pottery firms (est. 1880), it achieved an international reputation. The ware exhibits a range of full, rich color...

(Encyclopedia) Exekias ĕksĕkˈēəs [key], c.555–530 b.c., Greek potter and painter. He worked mainly in the black-figure style. Eleven vases and a series of fifteen plaques have been attributed to him, includin...

(Encyclopedia) Aceldama əkĕlˈdəmə [key] [Aram.,=field of blood], according to the Gospel of St. Matthew, the chief priests bought the potter's field with Judas' 30 pieces of silver as a place to bury foreigners...

(Encyclopedia) De Morgan, William Frend, 1839–1917, English artist and novelist; son of Augustus De Morgan. A famous potter, he designed glass and tiles and rediscovered an old process of making colored lusterware...

(Encyclopedia) Kincaid, Jamaica, 1949–, West Indian–American writer, b. Antigua as Elaine Potter Richardson. She immigrated to the United States at 16 and later became a U.S. citizen. Changing her name (1973), s...

(Encyclopedia) Dwight, John, fl. 1671–98, English potter, reputed founder of the Chelsea porcelain factory. The registration in 1671 of his patent for the “Mistery of transparent earthenware …” is the firs...

(Encyclopedia) Delaherche, Félix Auguste fālēksˈ ōgüstˈ dəläârshˈ [key], 1857–1940, French potter. He is considered the greatest ceramist since Bernard Palissy. Working alone in the village of La Chapel...