Gourd-shaped vase
Medium
Glazed earthenware
Dimensions
Overall: 8 x 4 1/4 in. (20.3 x 10.8 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Pottery
Culture
British, Linthorpe, Yorkshire
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of William S. Lieberman, 2005
Accession Number
2007.49.345
Art Historical Context
This charming gourd-shaped vase, crafted around 1880 by pioneering designer Christopher Dresser for the Linthorpe Pottery Works in Yorkshire, England, exemplifies the Aesthetic Movement's fusion of art and industry. Dresser, often called the father of industrial design, collaborated with the pottery—founded in 1879—to produce affordable, artistically refined ceramics that brought high design to everyday households. Made of glazed earthenware, the vase measures a compact 8 x 4¼ inches, its organic form evoking natural gourds and reflecting Japanese influences popular in Victorian Britain. Lint...
About the Artist
Christopher Dresser|Linthorpe Pottery Works · 1834–1904
Christopher Dresser (1834–1904) was one of the most innovative and prolific designers of the nineteenth century, widely regarded as a pioneer of industrial design long before that discipline had a name. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, he trained at the Government School of Design in London, where he studied under leading educators committed to improving the quality of British manufactured goods. He wen...