Vase 1884 - 1889

This iridescent red vase was made by the Chelsea Keramic Art Works, active in Massachusetts between 1872 and 1889. The vase's earthenware body was shaped on a potter's wheel, then coated with a metallic glaze. This lustrous effect gives the surface an oily sheen, like petrol on water. It was achieved through careful application of the glaze, and then, crucially, a reduction firing, starving the kiln of oxygen at a critical moment. This pulls oxygen out of the metallic oxides in the glaze, resulting in the vibrant colors you see. What’s interesting here is the meeting of industrial methods and aesthetic ambition. Keramic Art Works was trying to reach a high-end clientele with luxury goods. Their success depended on skilled labor, in the studio and in the chemistry lab. So next time you see a vase like this, remember it embodies both artistic ingenuity and a complex social ecosystem.