Anti-Suffrage Ceramics

A variety of ceramic pieces, mostly anti-suffrage in tone, appeared during the suffrage era. Many of these were manufactured by the German firm of Schafer and Vater, who supplied interested merchants with their designs in both America and England. Perhaps their biggest seller was that of a primitive black woman with a tablet upon which were inscribed the words “Votes for Women.” The grotesque figure has mistakenly been identified as Sojourner Truth.

Other typical Schafer and Vater themes were that of the policeman and the little suffragette girl, animals, primarily geese, cats, and dogs, and suffragettes with movable heads enjoying tea. Most popular in America were figures of cats inscribed with the words “Votes for Women” or “I Want My Vote.” Other American ceramic suffrage figures include that of one of Rose O’Neill’s famous Kewpie dolls draped with a “Votes for Women” sash, an obvious positive piece (O’Neill was a strong supporter of suffrage), and a whiskey flask picturing Teddy Roosevelt dressed as a suffragette.