Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 137, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Vase

ca. 1877 (made)
Place of origin

Heimberg is a village near Thun in the Simmenthal area of the Canton of Berne, Switzerland. The names of some potters are known from 1730 and a recognisable local decorative style had developed by 1775. Typical ground colours used were reddish-brown, light brown, and later chocolate brown and black. Brightly coloured motifs showed up well in contrast. About eighty potteries were by 1850 meeting increased tourist demand for traditional souvenirs. The retailer Schoch-Läderich commissioned five Heimberg potters to produce wares for display at the Paris International Exhibition of 1878. Wares in this distinct art pottery style became known as 'Paris Ware' or 'Paris Majolika' in reference to the 1878 Exhibition. After the Exhibition, potteries throughout the Thun district produced wares in this style, many featuring the pansy and edelweiss and these became known generically as 'Thuner Majolika'.


Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Earthenware, slip and incised
Brief description
Earthenware covered with a brown slip and painted in colours with floral ornament, Heimberg, Canton of Berne, Switzerland, about 1877.
Physical description
Earthenware decorated with coloured slips and incised. Flattened body, long neck and two handles.
Dimensions
  • Taken from register height: 8 7/8in
  • Taken from register diameter: 7 5/8in
Object history
Purchased from the retailer E. Schoch-Läderach for £1. Exhibited at the Paris International Exhibition of 1878.
Historical context
Heimberg is in the administrative district of Thun in the Swiss Canton of Berne. Many potteries were operating in this district in the 19th century and continue today.
Production
Made in the Thun district of Switzerland.
Summary
Heimberg is a village near Thun in the Simmenthal area of the Canton of Berne, Switzerland. The names of some potters are known from 1730 and a recognisable local decorative style had developed by 1775. Typical ground colours used were reddish-brown, light brown, and later chocolate brown and black. Brightly coloured motifs showed up well in contrast. About eighty potteries were by 1850 meeting increased tourist demand for traditional souvenirs. The retailer Schoch-Läderich commissioned five Heimberg potters to produce wares for display at the Paris International Exhibition of 1878. Wares in this distinct art pottery style became known as 'Paris Ware' or 'Paris Majolika' in reference to the 1878 Exhibition. After the Exhibition, potteries throughout the Thun district produced wares in this style, many featuring the pansy and edelweiss and these became known generically as 'Thuner Majolika'.
Collection
Accession number
736-1878

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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