Cleveland Museum of Art

Vase

Firm of Ferdinand Barbedienne

Date

c. 1862

Medium

gilt bronze with enamel decoration

Culture

France, 19th century

Department

Decorative Art and Design

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This vase vibrantly encapsulates the admiration for historical works of art and architecture that dominated the 1800s. It features stylistic qualities of ancient Egyptian, ancient Greek, and medieval Islamic art with its cat legs, amphora shape, and spiraling foliage ornamentation. The enameling technique itself, called champlevé, has roots in the ancient world. Champlevé enameling involves carving out sections of metal before filling those areas with colored enamel. The vase model was introduced at the International Exhibition of London in 1862, and its popularity resulted in several color and shape variations.

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