First commissioned by Eleanor Roosevelt for the governor’s mansion in Albany, this lively, elaborately decorated porcelain punch bowl is one of the early examples in a parabolic shape designed by Viktor Schreckengost as a special-order item for the Cowan Pottery Studio. The black slip design, glazed in Egyptian Blue—a color developed by Arthur Eugene Baggs for Cowan—uses the sgraffito technique, decorating the bowl with cocktail glasses, dancers, city skylines, and the incised words “jazz,” “dance,” “café,” “follies,” “stop,” and “go.” The design reflects the bustling activity of America’s largest metropolis and became an important symbol of its time.