From the 1890s until World War I, the glamorous Gibson Girl set the standard for beauty, fashion, and manners, bringing her creator unrivaled professional and popular success. Library of Congress

{HISTORY}

Legend states that Charles Dana Gibson, the artist behind the now iconic Gibson Girl illustrations, modeled his drawings of the ideal woman after his wife, Irene Langhorne Gibson (1873-1956) and her five sisters. First sketched in the 1890s, the Gibson Girls represented beauty, strength, intelligence, femininity, and independence with curvaceous bodies, pompadour hairstyles, and rosy complexions. For 15 years, this idea of feminine beauty ruled supreme and the Gibson Girl look could be found in all areas of mainstream life and marketing from clothing stores to advertising to household products like this ceramic serving bowl.

Rimmed with shiny green lustreware and embossed swags, it features the profile of a Gibson beauty - perhaps Irene herself  - wearing a ruffly dress and a blue bow. Without any maker's marks on the back, except for the number 16 stamped in gold, we can't determine exactly who made this bowl, but this specific Gibson Girl profile has been spotted on both domestic and foreign pieces of antique dishware, so most likely it was a licensed design shared among potteries. 

Most likely this bowl was made around the 1900-1914 time period. Following the start of World War I, the Gibson Girl ideal fell from popularity as women embraced the reality of the war years and favored practicality and usefulness over aspirational beauty and charm. 

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Lustreware rim with fluted edge and embossed swags

- Colors include sage, chartreuse, pale yellow, nutmeg, navy blue, sky blue, pink, red and peach

- Gibson girl portrait

- Hard to find design

-  Stamped on the back with the number 16 

{CONDITION}

Overall, this bowl is in lovely condition. There are no chips or cracks. There is some rubbing along the lustreware rim and there are some utensil marks on the Gibson Girl image. Please see photos. 

{SIZE}

This bowl measures 2.75" inches (height) x 9" inches (diameter) and weighs 1.25lbs

{STYLE IDEA}

This bowl looks gorgeous with this antique cake plate,  these lustreware pieces and this antique all white platter.