Aida Overton Walker

Oval under-glass decoupage tray, measuring 6x9."
 
Aida Overton Walker (1880-1914) stood out from the many talented African-American vaudeville performers of her time. Although she married established vaudevillian George Walker, she carved her own individual swath through the Harlem Renaissance . Aida joined her first black touring group at 15 in New York City, where she met her husband. Her early career was defined by collaborations with him and his partner Burt Williams, but Aida came to stand out on her own by choreographing  her own pieces, and refusing Mammy caricatures. She primarily worked in musical theater, eventually leaving the stage for a time in 1911 to care for her dying husband. 

     The next year, her triumphant turn as Salome enthralled audiences, resurrecting her career. Subsequently, she accepted an invitation to star in a musical as an ode to her husband and toured the entire next year. Walker died suddenly from kidney failure in 1914; she had continued performing until two months before her death
     In the potichomania process, the glass acts as both a foundation and protective finish, saving the step of varnishing. The original intent was to recreate Greek and Etruscan vases by simulating rare and expensive Sevrés porcelain.

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