nature

farmer, veterinarian,

lover living near New York City-was

Edward Marshall Boehm-a

and

con

vinced by his wife and friends to translate sorne ofhis clay

animal sculptures

inta pieces for possible sale to the gift

and art markets. Boehm recognized that porcelain was

the best medium for portraying his creations because of its

translucent beauty, permanence,

and fidelity of color as

weil as form. But the finest of the porcelains, hard pas te

porcelain, was largely a secret art about which litrle tech

existed. Boehm srudied this art relenrless

nicalliterature

knowledge

Iy, absorbing whatever

artbooks, museums,

and the few US. ceramic factaries offered. Then after

months of experimentation

basement, Boehm and sorne chemist

porcelain clay equal

in a dingy Trenton

friends devdoped

in the world.

to the finest

(NJ)

the complex

Next Boehm had to master

porcelain manufacture.

ture is a technical

step process is required to convert

into a completed

major creation

parts, and consumed

Sculptural

feather

art of

Each piece of porcelain sculp

as well as artistic challenge. A 52

sculpture

one

to make 151

in the molels.

carved

tü

took 509 mold sections

8 tons of plaster

a plasticine

piece. For example,

barbs. Each creation

had ro be kiln-fired

60,000 individually

porcdain

included

detail

2400° where heat could change a graceful detail

inta a

twisted mass. Then it hacl ro be painted, often in suc

to anneal

cessive layers, and perhaps

in hard

delicate

colors. No American

fired repeatedly

had excelled

pas te parcelains. And when Boehm's

appeared no one understood

Iain or even bdieved

first

the quality of the porce

creations

it was hard paste porcelain.

But Boehm began ta crea te in porcelain what he

the more

knew and loved best, nature-particularly

The generous cooperation of Edward Marshall Boehm, Inc.

is gratefully acknowledged.

forms of animaIs, birds, and flowers.

that special moment

delicate

Boehm tried "to capture

ting which con veys the character,

ness of a bird or animal

ln his art

and set

and loveli

charm,

in its natural habitat." After

career

for several years during her

!eft an oLltstand

to "peddle" Boehm's

time. Saon Mrs. Boehm's extraordinary

skills, promotional

selling his early creations

lunch hours, his talented wife, Helen,

ing opthalmic marketing

porcelains

full

merchandising

rouch, and sense for

the art market began to pay off. People liked Boehm's

horses

his birds. And Boehm

agreeably complied,

striving for ever greater perfection

on ever more exotic and natural bird creations.

and dogs, but bought

become

complex

collecrars

By 1968 some Boehm porcelains

recognized

(especially birds)

items. An

piece like "Fondo Marino" might

and might command much

had

extremdy

sell for $28,500

at retail,

more upon resale. Edward Marshall Boehm,

though flattered by his products'

commercial

considered his art primarily an expression ofhis love for

of por

nature. He felt

chickens

traying vanishing

with fidelity and traveled to remote areas ro bring back

live samples of rare tropical birds for study and la ter

rendering

into porceIain. A single company, Minton

China, was the exclusive distriburor of Boehm products

line

ta sorne 175 retail ourlets

in the U.S. Boehm's

then 55

success

like U.S. prairie

the ornithological

importance

species

series of smaller somewhat

usually selling for less than $100,

included (1) its "Fledgling"

(2) its

simplerpieces,

like the

profitable middle series of complex sculptures

"Snowy Owl" (see picture)

selling from $800 to $5,000,

and (3) its special artistic pieces (like "Panda Marino"

or "Ivory Billed Woodpeckers") which might

ini

tially for over $20,000.

sell

lndividual

Boehm porceIains were

being recognized as outstanding

sought by sorne sophisticated

artistic creations

collectors. Production

increasingly

and

Edward Marshall Boehm,

CASE 1-1 119

Ine .•.

........•....................•.•..•.........•.....•.....•........•.•..............•......•.....•..........•.....•.•.•.•

.....................................................................................................................

seemed

no longer

such designs might be sold out for years in advance, but

it was difficult

pieces might

ta anticipate which

achieve this distinction. Many of the company's past

policies

the

Boehms wanted to further position the company for

the long run. When asked what the y wanted from the

"ta make the world

company,

aware of ML Boehm's artistic talent,

ta help world

wildlife causes by crearing appreciation and protection

for rhreatened species, and to build a continuing busi-

they would respond,

appropria te. And

ness that could make them comfortably wealthy, per

haps millionaires." No one goal had great precedence

over the others.

QUESTIONS

1. \YJhat strategy should the Boeh~f6iîbwt

2. Why?

120 CASE 1-1

..•.

Edward Marshall Boehm,

Ine.

Edward Marshall Boehm and His Porcelain Artistry