The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 18, 2024

Vase

Vase

c. 1862
(French, 1810–1892)
(French, 1821–1888)
France, 19th century
gilt bronze with enamel decoration
Overall: 78.7 x 27.3 cm (31 x 10 3/4 in.)
The Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 1996.295
Location: 221 19th Century Decorative Arts

Description

In style, the vase is resoundingly eclectic. It derives its form from a slightly modified ancient Greek amphora-a two-handled jar having a narrow neck. Contemporaries described its style as neo-grec (new Greek) or Byzantine. Today, however, we would not choose those terms. It is true that the surface decoration of the vase is based upon the scrolling pattern of a classical acanthus design-an arrangement of leaves and flowers-but the sharp, spiky details point to possible Islamic modifications of this pattern. The colors of the enamels are related to medieval European examples, particularly 12th-century Netherlandish work from the Mosan region. The decoration of this vase exemplifies a technical innovation introduced by the Barbedienne firm around 1860. In casting the metal from which the piece is formed, many small grooves were created on its surface. Later these grooves and other broader recessed areas were filled with colored enamels to create a predetermined ornamental design.
  • Gustave Leblanc-Barbedienne
    Gustave Leblanc-Barbedienne
  • Cleveland Museum of Art, “Renaissance Armor, Early Islamic Ceramic, French Vase, Gleitsman Painting Added to Museum Collection,” December 13, 1996, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.org
  • Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World's Fairs, 1851-1939. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO (organizer) (April 14-August 19, 2012); Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA (October 13, 2012-February 24, 2013); New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, LA (April 12-August 4, 2013); Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, NC (September 21, 2013-January 19, 2014).
    The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City (April 14-August 19, 2012), Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh (October 13, 2012-February 24, 2013), New Orleans Museum of Art (April 12-August 4, 2013), and the The Mint Museum, Charlotte (September 21, 2013-January 19, 2014): "Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World's Fairs, 1851-1939"
  • {{cite web|title=Vase|url=false|author=Firm of Ferdinand Barbedienne, Louis-Constant Sévin|year=c. 1862|access-date=18 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1996.295