Vase 1875 - 1885

Curator: The "Vase," crafted from ceramic and porcelain between 1875 and 1885 by Haviland & Co., now resides here at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. What are your first impressions? Editor: There's something both soothing and unsettling about it. That muted color, the slightly awkward proportions—it gives off a feeling of faded grandeur, perhaps a commentary on bourgeois tastes. Curator: Let's deconstruct this further. The vase employs an interesting form, doesn't it? Notice the tension between the smooth, curved surfaces and the sharp, angular corners. It's not traditionally elegant; it's almost…striving. Editor: And what does that striving signify in the late 19th century? We're talking about a period grappling with rapid industrialization, class anxieties, and the burgeoning women's movement. Was this a piece for a newly-minted middle-class household eager to display taste and refinement, but failing somehow? Curator: It could also be read formally. Consider the placement of the butterfly relief: it interrupts the verticality, providing a focal point and contrasting texture. Editor: That butterfly—a symbol of transformation, perhaps of fleeting beauty? Or is it meant ironically here? Glued, dead on this vase, forever entombed. Given that its maker, Haviland & Co., was based in France but largely exported to the U.S., it must be placed within a wider network of industrial arts and its economic goals. Curator: A shrewd reading. I remain fascinated, though, by its visual construction; by how light interacts with its muted glaze, the subtle plays of shadow that shift with the viewing angle. Editor: I agree. But also consider how those shadows evoke a feeling of stagnation. If beauty cannot evolve beyond a domestic setting like this, does it really hold transformative potential at all? Curator: Indeed, a fitting inquiry with which to end. We’re each looking at it from our perspectives, contributing to a richer understanding of the artwork. Editor: Absolutely; let’s hope that we can inspire similar levels of inquiry into the intersections of culture, aesthetics, and broader histories.