Iris Vase

This delicate bud vase, created in 1903 and purchased by George and Ellen Booth before 1914, was made by the Rozenburg Royal Delftware Factory, in The Hague, in the Netherlands. At the turn of the century, the factory established a reputation for lightweight wares such as this vase, made of a new type of eggshell porcelain. Its delicacy makes it unsuitable for practical use, but Rozenburg porcelain's lightness and thinness lent a distinctive grace to its wares, elevated by the hand-painted, Art Nouveau-inspired floral designs that decorated their surfaces. Their ceramic work was highly acclaimed at the Paris Exposition in 1900. The four faces of this vase are decorated with blue-purple irises surrounded by arabesque spiraling leaves. Geometric patterns and stippling further animate the design by adding variety to each field of color.

Mariam Hale
2023-2025 Collections Fellow
Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research
March 2024