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Source Description
This vase--part of a pair of covered vases--was created to contain potpourri, a mixture of flowers, herbs, and spices emitting ambient fragrance. This specific function offered a particularly fertile ground for the development of French porcelain from the mid-1700s, as manufactories experimented with forms, surface ornamentations, and placement of perforations. Produced by the firm of Edmé Samson in the 1800s, the vases pay homage to this history. While using updated technique and material, as well as more exuberant decorations, these vases draw upon designs by earlier innovators such as the Saint-Cloud manufactory.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
380102
label
Potpourri Vase
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
380102
contentType
object
title
Potpourri Vase
description
This vase--part of a pair of covered vases--was created to contain potpourri, a mixture of flowers, herbs, and spices emitting ambient fragrance. This specific function offered a particularly fertile ground for the development of French porcelain from the mid-1700s, as manufactories experimented with forms, surface ornamentations, and placement of perforations. Produced by the firm of Edmé Samson in the 1800s, the vases pay homage to this history. While using updated technique and material, as well as more exuberant decorations, these vases draw upon designs by earlier innovators such as the Saint-Cloud manufactory.
date
1860–80
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q117244646
genreSpecific
Ceramic
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 20.2 x 21.3 cm (7 15/16 x 8 3/8 in.)
cul
France
accession
2020.200.1.a
Source extras
tec
blanc-de-chine porcelain; gilt bronze mount
tombstone
Potpourri Vase, 1860–80. France. Blanc-de-chine porcelain; gilt bronze mount; overall: 20.2 x 21.3 cm (7 15/16 x 8 3/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Nancy F. and Joseph P. Keithley Collection Gift, 2020.200.1.a
collection
Decorative Arts
didYouKnow
Potpourri vases always have holes in the top to let the scent of dried spices and flowers contained within freshen the air around them.
creditline
Nancy F. and Joseph P. Keithley Collection Gift
updatedAt
2026-06-11 12:17:40.922000
sourceId
380102
dept
Decorative Art and Design
coll
Decorative Arts
med
blanc-de-chine porcelain; gilt bronze mount
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
1a1890883516945b