Vase 1887 - 1905

This vase was produced by the Willets Manufacturing Company, a ceramics firm operating from 1879 to 1908. During this period, the aesthetic movement was in full swing and works like this vase often blurred the lines between industrial production and high art. This piece, adorned with orchids and dragonflies, invites us to consider the cultural fascination with nature and the exotic that permeated late 19th-century America. The orchids themselves were highly prized, embodying a sense of luxury and refinement often associated with femininity and domesticity. Yet, consider the labor behind its creation. Who were the hands that painted these delicate flowers? Were they women, immigrants, or working-class artisans whose own stories and identities are intertwined with this object? These vases occupy an interesting place between mass production and individual expression. How might this object have been used to cultivate personal identity and taste? By engaging with these questions, we move beyond mere appreciation of beauty to explore the complex social and historical forces that shape our understanding of art and ourselves.