Vase 1904

This porcelain vase was made at the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres, and when you look closely, you realize that making something look effortless takes real skill. The creamy surface is covered in these loose, playful floral designs. There are the green leaves and stems which seem to drift and twine over the rounded body, and then these vivid pops of blue and yellow in the flower heads. The decoration has a light touch. The paint is translucent, allowing the white of the porcelain to glow through, like watercolor. The artist has allowed for the odd imperfection in the color, an acceptance of the process. Look at how the blue is feathered, it's like a tiny, disciplined explosion. It reminds me a little of the work of Christopher Dresser, that interest in botanical form, but translated through an industrial lens. Of course, these influences go both ways. What matters is that they keep talking to each other. It's a conversation we can all join.