Vase 1886 - 1896

Curator: Here we have a ceramic vase, specifically porcelain, crafted sometime between 1886 and 1896 by Ernest Chaplet. It resides here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: The colors are arresting. The burgundy seems almost bruised, bleeding into softer, lavender hues. And that base—a dazzling band of gold. There's something decadent, almost melancholy, about it. Curator: The "sang de boeuf," or oxblood glaze, like this one, was notoriously difficult to achieve. The rich, deep reds were often associated with imperial power, a sign of prestige and technological mastery, echoing cultural connections between the West and China. Editor: Mastery is evident. Look at the modulation of color across the vase’s surface; it shifts from a concentrated crimson near the base to almost ethereal wisps near the top. Note also the decorative handles and the base that hint toward historical classical amphora, contrasting with the Art Nouveau coloring and forms. Curator: Precisely. The glaze itself takes on symbolic weight. Red, for centuries, has represented vitality and good fortune across cultures. By rendering it in this complex, almost tormented way, Chaplet evokes those traditions but tempers it with a hint of fin-de-siècle angst. It is almost romantic. Editor: Indeed, one cannot ignore the obvious dialogue of shape, form, and function that seem both independent and intertwined as opposing signifiers. Considering what the work embodies and how, it also embodies the complex symbolist elements that also drive cultural change in that particular timeframe. Curator: A potent and fascinating reflection of artistic innovation intertwined with enduring symbolic legacies. I find myself appreciating its quiet strength and beauty on multiple levels. Editor: Me, too. The form and coloring is certainly one of Art Nouveau's triumphs of texture and pigment.