Pair of Bulb Vases
Medium
Pâte-sur-pâte on bone china with gilding
Dimensions
9 5/8 in. (24.4 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Pottery
Culture
British, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of the Starr and Wolfe Families, in celebration of the Museum's 150th Anniversary, 2019
Accession Number
2019.597.8a, b, .9a, b
Art Historical Context
This exquisite pair of bulb vases, crafted in 9 by Alboin Birks for the renowned Minton pottery firm in Stoke-on-Tr, Staffordshire, exemplifies the pinnacle of late Victorian ceramic artistry. Standing at 9 5/8 inches tall, these delicate bone china vessels feature intricate gilding and the labor-intensive *pâte-sur-pâte* technique, where thin layers of white slip are successively applied and carved to create ethereal, cameo-like reliefs. Originally designed for forcing hyacinth or other bulbs to bloom indoors, they reflect the era's fascination with ornamental gardening and domestic elegance....
About the Artist
Alboin Birks|Minton(s) (British| ) · 1793 |1850 –2001 |1950
British, Stoke-on-Trent, 1793–present|