Designs for Two Ewers, Two Bottle-shaped Vases and a Covered Tureen 1845 - 1855

Alfred Henry Forrester created these designs for two ewers, two bottle-shaped vases and a covered tureen in the 19th century. Forrester, living in a time when the Industrial Revolution was transforming design and production, seems to be playing with traditional forms and aesthetics through his design. Consider the cultural context of Victorian England, where decorative arts reflected social status. The designs suggest a desire for ornamentation and refinement which would have been very fashionable at the time. The ewer and vase designs reference classical shapes, updated with a Victorian sensibility for detail. The covered tureen design includes a small figurine, bringing a playful, almost whimsical element to what was essentially a functional object. These designs, with their delicate lines and soft colors, evoke a sense of nostalgia for a handcrafted past. They offer a window into the values and aspirations of a society in transition, capturing a moment where the old world was giving way to the new.