Double Vase 1870

Curator: Before us is "Double Vase," a porcelain ceramic piece crafted around 1870 by Christopher Dresser. Its pale green and white palette gives it a striking presence. Editor: I'm immediately struck by its unusual symmetry. It's almost aggressively...polite. A very self-contained object, with those dual horn-like protrusions. Curator: Absolutely. Dresser was a pivotal figure in the aesthetic movement. He aimed to reform Victorian design by combining industrial production with artistic principles. His trips to Japan influenced a new theory on design. Editor: How do the ethics of production manifest in an object like this? Considering its historical and cultural context...Who had access to beauty in 1870? It begs the question, what labor practices made possible objects accessible beyond the elites. Curator: Precisely, Dresser wanted quality design available for wider consumption by adapting manufacturing. This vase, machine-made ceramic, echoes both the functional aesthetic and the influences of Asian ceramics he observed firsthand. Editor: It also sits on the tension between ornamentation and utility, like those small square ornaments along its base, questioning high and low art. What narratives about gender and domesticity were woven into the creation and consumption of an item intended for the home? Curator: I see those squares you’re referring to as simplified geometric designs rather than pure ornament. It is an abstraction, not intended to conjure any romantic themes from art history. However, by examining Dresser’s business practices and exploring factory led production, you could consider that this piece embodies both labor division and artistic value. Editor: Agreed. Its simplicity makes it accessible. Understanding "Double Vase" is recognizing Dresser's larger project, one invested in changing access to industrial and materialist culture, making decorative art part of larger socio-economic systems. Curator: A worthwhile endeavor, and perhaps not fully realized, but important nonetheless. Thank you for this critical perspective. Editor: Thank you. I am glad to have deepened the understanding beyond simply viewing this as an objet d'art.