Vase 1883 - 1886

This vase was produced by the Greenwood Pottery Company in Trenton, New Jersey, sometime between 1861 and 1933. It’s made of porcelain, decorated with gold and platinum. The dark blue glaze imitates the fashionable aesthetic popularized by the French firm Sèvres, while the golden floral decoration is a clear reference to Japanese art. The late 19th century was a time of unprecedented fascination with the arts of Japan. International expositions and new museum collections gave the American public a taste for what was then seen as the exotic elegance of Japanese art. Potteries like Greenwood sought to capitalize on this taste. Firms like this one were able to serve a growing middle class with aspirations to high culture, but without the means to buy rare and expensive imports. To better understand this piece, one might research the history of the American ceramics industry and its relationship to international trade, art education, and cultural diplomacy.