Vase

Art Historical Context

This elegant 19th-century glass hails from Murano, the historic island near Venice renowned as Europe's glassmaking epicenter since the 13th. Standing at 9 1/4 × 3 3/8 inches (23.5 × 8.6 cm), its slender form exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of Italian artisans, who in the 1800s revived ancient techniques amid a Renaissance of decorative arts. Murano glass, prized for its clarity, color, and innovation, adorned the homes of nobility and collectors, blending utility with opulent artistry. Though the artist remains unknown, the vase reflects Venice's enduring glassmaking tradition, where guilds guarded secrets like blowing, cutting, and layering to create luminous objects. Donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1881 by James Jackson Jarves—a pioneering American collector of Italian treasures—it entered the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts collection, highlighting 19th-century Europe's fascination with revivalist styles. Today, it invites us to appreciate the delicate mastery behind everyday luxury.