Vase 1870 - 1890

This "Vase" was crafted by Challinor, Taylor and Company between 1866 and 1891, using pressed glass. Think about the Victorian era, where industrialization met a burgeoning middle class eager for affordable beauty. Pressed glass democratized luxury, but it also mirrored the era's complex social stratification. Mass-produced items, like this vase, became signifiers of aspiration, subtly navigating the desire for status. The floral motifs, rendered in glass, speak to the Victorian obsession with nature, yet they are mediated through industrial processes. Consider how this vase sits at the intersection of technology, class, and aesthetics. It embodies the tension between the handmade and the machine-made, raising questions about authenticity and value. This piece invites us to reflect on the stories objects tell about our collective desires and anxieties.