Favrile Vase c. 19th century

Curator: Here we have a Favrile Vase, crafted by the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company between 1892 and 1902. It's just under 35 cm tall. Editor: It's so delicate. The pale greens and golds give a sense of organic growth, almost like a budding flower frozen in glass. Curator: Tiffany's firm championed the Arts and Crafts movement, making luxury goods accessible to the rising middle class. This vase embodies that ethos. Editor: I wonder about the gendered connotations of floral motifs in that period. Were such designs considered feminine, and how did that affect their reception? Curator: That's a key point! The vase offered beauty and artistry but also reinforced societal expectations around domesticity and femininity. Editor: Looking at this piece today, I see both its aesthetic beauty and the subtle ways it participated in the construction of social norms. Fascinating. Curator: Indeed, it's a reminder that art never exists in a vacuum but is always part of a larger cultural conversation.