A nearly bankrupt pottery company. New York’s 1930s jazz music scene. One mysteriously anonymous client. What do they all have in common?

As our curator of decorative arts, Charles Sable, will tell you, the answer lies in the Jazz Bowl – a stunningly beautiful piece of pottery that would become one of the most iconic visual pieces of America’s Jazz Age. Crafted by a talented young ceramic artist who, by chance, was also a fan of this new style of music, the Jazz Bowl captured the excitement and energy felt in New York City nightclubs in the early 1930s.

But there’s much more to the story – what happened after that first seemingly innocuous design was crafted? And just who was the mysterious client who had it commissioned? Find out more in our January Pic of the Month.