Nell Marie Ingram was born 13 July 1888 in Hempstead, Texas to William Edward Ingram [1859-1925] and Viola F. Taylor [1858-1937]. She was brought up as a lady, and developed the hobby of painting on pottery. An article on Hand Painted Porcelain at the Kansas State Historical Society describes it as a "sophisticated hobby", a "respectable occupation" and a "creative outlet for women artists." From the stories told by her daughter and grandchildren, I think this 'hobby' was all of the above for her. As a lady, she could express herself artistically, while maintaining her respectability. And then later in life, she used these skills to share them with another generation through Art Classes and at Gypsy Camp for Girls in Siloam Springs, Arkansas (which is another whole blog post in itself).
Nell created a lot of one-of-a-kind pieces, but this particular piece is one of my favorites. The signature on the bottom reads, "Nell Ingram, 1914."
If you're interested and want to learn more, there's another article at My Granny's Attic Antiques.
What a lovely piece! I am a collector of hand-painted china from this period - I posted an article about women and china painting over at my blog as well: http://destinationaustinfamily.blogspot.com/2008/01/womens-china-painting-in-19th-and-early.html
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