On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Vessel in the form of an animal
Designer Christopher Dresser British, Scottish
Manufacturer Thomas Webb & Sons British
This highly peculiar zoomorphic vessel, produced by the glass company Thomas Webb & Sons, once based at Stourbridge near Birmingham, is likely to be a one-off prototype of which no multiples appear to have been made for retail. Its enameled polychromy and naïve shape depart from the refined, etched and carved cameo glass for which the firm is better known. Was this creature simply too weird, even for the broadly minded collectors of the Aesthetic Movement?
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.