Vase 1899

Curator: This earthenware vase was designed by Max Laeuger in 1899. It’s currently housed here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Editor: My first thought is…restrained. Despite its decorative flourishes, the dark glaze constricts the warm-toned clay underneath. It creates a visual tension I find rather compelling. Curator: That tension likely reflects the push-pull within the decorative arts at the turn of the century. On one hand, you have the embrace of ornamentation characteristic of Art Nouveau; on the other, the burgeoning emphasis on functionality associated with the Werkbund movement in Germany. Editor: Ah, yes, a tug-of-war between artistry and industrial design—certainly visible here. Laeuger’s vase clearly prioritizes visual impact over practical use. Tell me more about how these pieces were created in the period. Curator: Mass production certainly had an influence, but handmade elements remained key. Labor was often divided – someone shaping the clay, someone else glazing, another applying the design. These factories were experimenting with streamlining the division of labour at every stage of production, to make decorative art more widely available. Editor: So, consumption was as much a consideration as creation? And given its display in a museum now, that original context shifts. What once may have been commonplace decor gains significance. Curator: Precisely. It reminds us that art's journey continues beyond the studio. Its meaning changes with each display, each interpretation, like ours! Editor: Right, and acknowledging how the very institutions housing artworks inform how we view and value them. It reframes our appreciation. Curator: A great demonstration of earthenware reflecting the flux of design movements during Germany’s dynamic turn-of-the-century milieu. Editor: Absolutely. Now, viewing this again, I am struck by the vase’s robust simplicity. Despite those decorative flourishes, they are what grant its distinctive beauty.