Annemarie Davidson Ghostline Enamel and Copper Dish in Yellow and Black

A wonderful unusual enameled rectacular shaped copper plate by Annemarie Davidson of Sierra Madre. Design features incised rays emanating from the famous jewel-like structures in yellow and black. This pattern is sometimes known as "Groovy line" or "Ghostline". With an alluring yellow jewels and black and gold enamel and copper dish. This dish features her signature inlayed glass "jewels" in yellow. By Annemarie Davidson, a prominent Southern California artist, from Sierra Madre, near Pasadena. This dish has the classic Annmarie Davidson mark, on the underside.


In her work, Davidson frequently uses pieces of glass of varying sizes to create irregular organic shapes which she called her “jewels.” These raised forms appear to float on the liquid surface of the vessel or plate. On many of her abstract compositions such as this, she also used a sgraffito technique, incising straight lines with the sharp point of a dart. These hand-drawn lines, which fan out from a central focal point, present a linear counterpoint to the more fluid, organic and sculptural form of the jewels.

Her works were exhibited in her lifetime at the Pasadena Art Museum, Long Beach Museum of Art, Mobile Museum of Art and the Cleveland Museum of Art, and are now beginning to be widely collected.

In excellent condition with no chips or fractures to the finish.

Dimensions: 7" L x 5.25" W

About the designer:

Annemarie Davidson was born Annemarie Behrendt in 1920 in Berlin, Germany. Davidson came to New York City with her family in 1936. Davidson, studied economics, receiving her bachelor's degree from New York University in 1941, and was awarded her master's degree at Columbia University in 1942. In 1942, Davidson married Norman Davidson, a chemist and molecular biologist. The Davidsons moved to Sierra Madre, California in 1946 where Norman Davidson was Caltech professor and a pioneering scientist in the field of microbiology.

While Davidson's husband was at Harvard in 1957, she studied with enamelist Doris Hall in Cambridge. Returning to Sierra Madre in 1958, Davidson continued studying with the African American enamelist Curtis Tann. Davidson became a friend of Los Angeles–based enamelist Mary Sharp. Influenced by Hall, Tann and to some extent Sharp, Davidson's enamels were brightly colored and abstract. Davidson would use glass fragments, which she referred to as "jewels" in her work which would become part of the enamel, giving her work a distinctive freeform sculptural style. Davidson produced a variety of copper enameled plates and bowls in various sizes, along with copper enamel tile to be used as inlays for boxes and furniture. Her work was sold by "leading gift and furniture stores throughout the country."

Davidson often collaborated with artist Blaine Rath. Davidson's enamels would be mounted in boxes and other decorative objects made from walnut, maple and rosewood crafted by Rath.

Annemarie Davidson died September 24, 2012 in Sierra Madre.