Green Glaze Double Vase

DesignerDesigned by Christopher Dresser (Glasgow, Scotland, 1834 - 1904)

ManufacturerManufactured by Linthorpe Art Pottery (Middlesbrough, England, founded 1879)

Date1870 - 1883

Object NameVase

Mediumearthenware

ClassificationsCeramics

DimensionsOverall: Height: 14 cm

AcquisitionRobinson-Young Collection, purchased in 1998 with assistance from the National Fund for Acquisitions and with income from the John Black Trust and the Hamilton Bequest.

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDMS030588

Keywords

Decorative

About MeThe Linthorpe Pottery was one of the first potteries to utilise glazes as a purely decorative feature. The characteristic green-brown glaze seen on this flask was probably influenced by the pottery Dresser saw during his four month visit to Japan, 1876-1877. Other oriental inspired glazes were also part of the pottery's repertoire, developed by the manager, Henry Tooth.

The trip to Japan had a profound impact on Dresser's design aesthetic; prior to the trip he was preoccupied with ornamentation, but on his return he rejected ornament and focussed on form. This stylistic departure resulted in designs that were minimalist and modern and perfectly suited to machine production.

The form of the vase is based on the gourd, a large dried fruit, which formed part of everyday Japanese culture. This shape was adopted by many potters and reworked over and over again to the point where it barely resembled its original form.