Vase 1889 - 1895

Editor: We’re looking at a ceramic earthenware vase, likely dating from between 1889 and 1895, made by the Ceramic Art Company in New Jersey. The details are beautiful! I am intrigued by the way the raised, sculpted rabbits interact with the surrounding stylized grasses. How do you read the composition and what aesthetic strategies did the artists employ? Curator: Indeed, the composition strikes me as highly deliberate. Note the careful arrangement of forms – the almost mathematical repetition of blades of grass, for example, plays off against the dynamism of the rabbits' postures. There is a strong emphasis on symmetry in the body of the vase which is reinforced by two ornamental scroll handles. The bright, smooth ceramic allows viewers to closely examine each of the forms. How do you feel the artist’s choice of rendering animals adds to this? Editor: I like your take on the calculated composition, I would've assumed the relief's plants and rabbits were added randomly and the only balance I observed was within the symmetric scroll handles. Rendering fauna suggests a playful intent on the artist’s behalf which also draws your eyes into other intricate forms, perhaps that was their plan all along? Curator: It is a strong piece; you observed both the decorative qualities as well as the playful use of rabbits, the ceramic relief showcases visual appeal to enhance a utilitarian object. Editor: I have really benefited from focusing on composition over ornamentation, it makes this vessel’s materiality stand out even further. Curator: It seems our analytical discussion illuminated some new qualities that make this more than simply a ceramic piece, our insights into the artist's rendering further demonstrate the importance of structural qualities.