Vase

ca. 1884

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 774

The Union Porcelain Works was one of the most important porcelain manufactories in America during the last quarter of the nineteenth century, and the most significant firm in the New York area. Although it maintained a successful bread-and-butter production of hotelware, its fame derives from the hire of German-born sculptor Karl L. H. Muller in advance of the nation’s Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876, for which he designed a large number of major exhibition pieces. This vase was made in the years the Centennial. Large in scale, it features elaborate ornamentation in raised gold paste and raised colored enamels, and reveals the period’s penchant for decoration inspired by various non-Western sources; it integrates together in a single vase, inspiration from both Japan, in the applied sculptural lizards, and the Islamic world, in the foliate and scroll decoration.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Vase
Designer: Karl L. H. Müller (1820–1887)
Maker: Union Porcelain Works (1863–1922)
Date: ca. 1884
Medium: Porcelain
Dimensions: Height: 14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm)
Width: 5 3/4 in. (14.6 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Emma and Jay A. Lewis, in honor of Alice C. Frelinghuysen, 2022
Object Number: 2022.315.8
Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.

Century Vase, Karl L. H. Müller American, Porcelain, American — Century Vase
Karl L. H. Müller
Union Porcelain Works
1876

Figural Group

Karl L. H. Müller

Union Porcelain Works

ca. 1876

Mug, Karl L. H. Müller American, Porcelain, American — Mug
Karl L. H. Müller
Union Porcelain Works
ca. 1863

Teacup and saucer, Karl L. H. Müller American, Porcelain, American — Teacup and saucer
Karl L. H. Müller
Union Porcelain Works
ca. 1876

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.