Vase c. 1895 - 1900

This vase was made by Nancy Daum Glassworks, though the exact date of its making is unknown. It is constructed from glass, a material that must be heated to extremely high temperatures to become workable. The processes that create the vase and its decoration are key to its appearance. Notice how the green vines and leaves are embedded within the clear glass, seemingly floating within its form. This effect could have been achieved through multiple layers of colored glass, each fused to the other and etched with acid to reveal the design. These kinds of complex glassworking techniques were developed in the late 19th century and required intense manual skill. While industrialization was advancing rapidly at this time, works like this vase celebrated handcraftsmanship, and aligned artistic practice with the natural world, as seen in its botanical motifs. So, when we look at this vase, we are not just seeing a pretty object, we are also seeing a moment in history when artists and designers were rethinking the relationship between art, craft, and industry.