Preview
Upload Date
3-26-2025
Department
Classics
Label Text
On a surface level, this small vase may attract our attention for its shiny glossy exterior, the poppy red and deep teal green impressionistic flowers, or the gold and silver colored foil. Upon closer inspection, one can recognize the fine artistic design and skillful craftsmanship combining to make an aesthetically pleasing and intriguing piece. The painted flowers closely resemble an Art Nouveau style, emphasizing the natural shapes and curves of nature. The flowers as part of the aesthetic design also call back to the suggested purpose of the object: while the vase opening is extremely small, it potentially could have been a bud vase to display dainty flowers, mimicking nature and its beauty. Against a dark background, the texture of the object is revealed, causing one to stare at all the small intricate details of the foil’s textured scale-like pattern and the fractures in the enamel. The pattina seeps through the cracks and makes the enamel rough around its edges with a thin green rusted film, acting as almost a bond between the cracks. One may wonder, how could such a delicate and ornamental piece be broken?
Camera Settings: Aperture
F16
Camera Settings: Shutter Speed
1/8
Camera Settings: ISO
160
Lighting
Photographs were taken with black background, with the camera angled down at the object. The camera was positioned on the right side of the object, with the smashed side of the object angled away from the camera. Overhead lights were less bright than the lights placed in the front corners of the object.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Found in
ADC study collections
