Vase
Boulton & Fothergill|Matthew Boulton|James Keir
ca. 1772 · White opaque glass, gilt-bronze mounts · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Matthew Boulton’s documented design for a graceful vase, with pine cone, oak leaf, and satyrs’ masks detailing, is clearly recognizable in this piece, which combines matte, opaque, white glassware sourced from the Birmingham-based workshops of the chemist and inventor, James Keir, with the pre-fabricated ormolu mounts produced and applied in Boulton & Fothergill’s Soho manufactory. While Boulton’s characteristically elegant Classical style harkens back to an idealized vision of ancient Rome, Keir’s chemical innovations set this glass right at the cutting edge of Europe-wide experiments to manipulate and expand the medium’s colors and density. To Boulton’s affluent and fashionable clientele, this vase was stylish, tasteful, and modern.
- Artist
- Boulton & Fothergill|Matthew Boulton|James Keir
- Date
- ca. 1772
- Medium
- White opaque glass, gilt-bronze mounts
- Culture
- British, Birmingham
- Department
- European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
- Credit line
- Purchase, From the Marion E. and Leonard A. Cohn Collection, Bequest of Marion E. Cohn, by exchange, 2017
