The Vernie Merze Tate Tea Set Collection, Rec'd Fall 2012. Inventory Updated September 5, 2018.
Scope and Contents
Vernie Merze Tate was an educator, author and civil rights pioneer. Born in Blanchard, Michigan; Tate pursued her college education at Western State Teachers College and graduated in 1927. After teaching at Crispus Attucks High School in Indianapolis for a short time, she pursued a graduate degree at Columbia University where she graduated in 1930. In 1932 she moved to the United Kingdom and studied at Oxford University where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in 1935. She was the first black American to do this. In 1941 she completed her PhD at Harvard, being the first black woman to do so. In 1942 she joined the faculty at Howard University, where she stayed until her retirement in 1977. During her tenure at Howard, she authored seven books, taught abroad as a Fulbright scholar, and became a recognized expert in International Relations. Upon her death, she returned to Michigan and was buried in Blanchard.
Dates
- Record Keeping: Majority of material found within Rec'd Fall 2012. Inventory Updated September 5, 2018.
Extent
1 boxes (1 Flat Box.)
Language of Materials
English
Custodial History
The set came into possession by the university on donation from Karen Stone, who received it from Merze Tate, after Tate bequeathed the estate to WMU. Stone wanted to ensure the set’s preservation and retention. After discussion between the WMU Foundation and the permanent art collection about where the collection should be housed, it was eventually redirected to the Archives and Regional History Collection to complement the 11-box Merze Tate collection. Little is known about the provenance of the pieces prior to Stone’s acquisition of them.
Physical Description
The collection amounts to a serving tray, milk canister, teapot, large bowl, and medium and small cups. On the serving tray, human figures are plowing fields with teams of oxen and men leading elephants to vegetation. The milk canister is topless and trapezoidal on all sides, narrowing at the top with a spout ascending from the base. The teapot is tall and narrow with a simple black handle and a knob at the top to raise the lid. The large bowl is decorated with wild animals and a mythical being, circumscribed with ornate knot-work and hand-made flourishes. The medium and small cups are embellished with swirling flourishes and what appears to be prancing rabbits. All pieces are ornamented with Indian motifs, owing to their hand-crafted Indian origin. The contents are in very good condition.
Repository Details
Part of the Western Michigan University Archives & Regional History Collections Repository
Charles C. and Lynn L. Zhang Legacy Collections Center
1650 Oakland Drive
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5307 US
(269) 387-8490
arch-collect@wmich.edu