"Meiping" Vase

The wide shoulders and narrow foot of this monumental 19th-century French vase are a variant of the classic Chinese meiping baluster vase.

Théodore Deck is a seminal figure in the history of 19th-century European ceramics. His career follows the century's evolution from historicism to a freer, more natural style as influenced by Japanese art. His technical mastery, both of ancient methods and new applications, was profoundly important to the development of ceramics in Europe. The dragon-shaped handles and complex amber glaze of the vase show his historicist interest in Chinese ceramics, whereas the windblown passion flowers and poppies look to Japanese print sources. The bright touches of a blue named for him—bleu de Deck—frame and punctuate the elegant composition.