U-shaped vase 1886 - 1889

Curator: Immediately, this vase feels ceremonial, almost like an artifact from a royal court. It's sleek, compact, yet stately, if that makes any sense. Editor: It absolutely does. We’re looking at a U-shaped vase by Minton, dating from 1886 to 1889. The piece currently resides at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Curator: It’s got these stubby little legs! Which are tipped with gold. That striking combination of deep blue porcelain and gilding is fantastic. Reminds me of nighttime and stars. Editor: Its composition draws deeply from the Arts and Crafts movement, which at the time was critiquing the rise of industrial capitalism. Minton tapped into pre-industrial techniques and championed handcrafted artistry. This vase would have been a rejection of mass production, an assertion of individual skill, and I would add taste, given the cost of its production. Curator: The circles and quatrefoils arranged in a tessellating band! Do you think there’s something coded in these symbolic gestures or perhaps more decoration than deep historical importance? I am, of course, always game for a bit of theory that unpacks something's cultural DNA. Editor: These motifs echo broader interests from that time: in geometric patterns found globally from the Islamic world to pre-Colombian America. It speaks to an increasing awareness and perhaps, appropriation of other cultures’ design sensibilities within a very Western context. Curator: What about how its U-shape invites dialog, a sense of connection and unity in form? Is that me imposing 21st century optimism? Editor: Not at all. Consider that this form might invite reflection on relationships—perhaps a gift presented at a wedding to wish union, fertility? Curator: All of a sudden, I want one. For no real purpose other than how this form brings a calm energy into its space. Editor: Its very existence feels radical in our mass-produced, disposable age, doesn’t it? A little reminder about valuing skill, form, and a deliberate slowness.