The Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History  
World MapsTimelines / RegionsThematic EssaysWorks of ArtIndex  
Wave bowl, ca. 1880
Formerly attributed to Christopher Dresser (British, 1834–1904)
Glazed earthenware; Overall: 7 x 7 x 4 1/2 in. (17.8 x 17.8 x 11.4 cm)
Purchase, James David Draper Gift, in memory of Robert Isaacson, 2001 (2001.549)

This bowl, covered in a turquoise-green glaze with a yellow and green striped interior, is molded to suggest a cresting wave. Further molded with gadrooning and a band of small circles, the bowl reflects various sources upon which Christopher Dresser relied. Japanese prints strongly influenced European decorative arts in the second half of the nineteenth century. The powerful curve of Katsushika Hokusai's famous woodblock print The Great Wave at Kanagawa, which was known in the West, is echoed in the shape of this bowl.

This bowl was made by the Linthorpe firm following Dresser's trip to Japan in 1876/77. While not copying Japanese prototypes, Dresser, unlike his contemporaries, abstracted key design elements that suggest Japanese aesthetics.


Open full-size image



  • Related Timeline(s)


    Wave bowl, ca. 1880
    Formerly attributed to Christopher Dresser (British, 1834–1904)
    Glazed earthenware; Overall: 7 x 7 x 4 1/2 in. (17.8 x 17.8 x 11.4 cm)
    Purchase, James David Draper Gift, in memory of Robert Isaacson, 2001 (2001.549)