One of the most iconic of American porcelain forms, this vase belongs to a small group of objects produced to the design of German-born sculptor Karl L. H. Müller by the Brooklynbased firm Union Porcelain Works. First unveiled in monumental scaleat the 1876 Centennial International Exhibition, held in Philadelphia, the vases were intended as a visual record of America’s progress through its first century of independence. Boasting two portrait medallions of George Washington and handlesmodeled on North American bison heads, each vase features a series of six biscuit-relief plaques depicting key figures and themes in American history. A benchmark of technical virtuosity and artistic merit, this vase boasts superb enamel work ina complex pattern of oak leaves and acorns among berried branches and grapevines. Adding to the quality of its execution is the rare artist’s mark—only one other such example is known—suggesting it may have been produced by Müller himself.
Centennial; Gilded Age
Marked: "K. MULLER" under portrait; "UPW" on relief panel; "MANUFACTURED BY UNION PORCELAIN WORKS GREENPOINT, NY" and "UPWC" on underside
J. Harwood and Louise B. Cochrane Fund for American Art and partial gift of Robert Hunter and Marshall Goodman
2018: Collecting for the Commonwealth Preserving for the Nation, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 1919-2018, Winter Antiques Show, Park Avenue Armory, New York City, NY, January 18 - 26, 2018.
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
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