Pair of vases

Art Historical Context

These charming terracotta vases, produced around 1875 in Copenhagen, Denmark, represent the refined decorative pottery of late-19th-century Scandinavia. Standing just over eight inches high, the pair is fashioned from terracotta—a fired clay valued for its warm earthy color, durability, and capacity to hold crisp sculptural detail. Such modest-scale vessels were typically intended for display rather than everyday use, reflecting the era’s taste for classically inspired ornaments in the home. The works are associated with Frederick Sonne, V. Wendrich, and the celebrated Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. Thorvaldsen, a leading figure of Neoclassicism, drew extensively on ancient Greek and Roman mythology; the vases’ motifs of eagles, the god Jupiter, and a goddess echo that tradition. These mythological subjects, popular throughout Europe at the time, linked contemporary Danish craftsmanship to the prestige of antiquity. Now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s European Sculpture and Decorative Arts collection, the vases illustrate how sculptural ideas were translated into ceramic form. Gifted in 1969, they offer visitors an intimate glimpse of Copenhagen’s ceramic workshops and the enduring appeal of classical themes in decorative art.

About the Artist

Frederick Sonne|V. Wendrich|Bertel Thorvaldsen ( | |Danish) · |1800 |1770 – |1900 |1844

| |Danish, Copenhagen 1770–1844 Copenhagen