Bottle
ca. 1844 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
A perfume bottle, intended for display.
Design & Designers
This bottle was made by the renowned French silversmith Frédéric-Jules Rudolphi and was exhibited at the Exhibition of Industrial Art, held in Paris in 1844. As with many of his contemporaries, Rudolphi was particularly interested in surface treatment, and this vase is oxydised and parcel-gilt (partly gilded). Rudolphi's designs were eclectic, drawing on a number of stylistic sources that included Oriental, Renaissance and Gothic art.
Historical Association
This vase was selected for the government-sponsored Schools of Design by Charles Heath Wilson, a leading figure in design education, who was Director of the School of Design in London from 1843 to 1847. In this capacity he made a number of purchases of objects for the Schools of Design Collection, which were to form the core of the Museum of Ornamental Art, later the South Kensington Museum, which in turn became the Victoria & Albert Museum. This vase was purchased for £40 and is one of the Museum's earliest acquisitions. It demonstrates not only Britain's acknowledgement of the continuing high quality of workmanship and the inventiveness of design in the French decorative arts, but the perceived need for British goldsmiths and designers to improve their skills by studying the best French examples.
A perfume bottle, intended for display.
Design & Designers
This bottle was made by the renowned French silversmith Frédéric-Jules Rudolphi and was exhibited at the Exhibition of Industrial Art, held in Paris in 1844. As with many of his contemporaries, Rudolphi was particularly interested in surface treatment, and this vase is oxydised and parcel-gilt (partly gilded). Rudolphi's designs were eclectic, drawing on a number of stylistic sources that included Oriental, Renaissance and Gothic art.
Historical Association
This vase was selected for the government-sponsored Schools of Design by Charles Heath Wilson, a leading figure in design education, who was Director of the School of Design in London from 1843 to 1847. In this capacity he made a number of purchases of objects for the Schools of Design Collection, which were to form the core of the Museum of Ornamental Art, later the South Kensington Museum, which in turn became the Victoria & Albert Museum. This vase was purchased for £40 and is one of the Museum's earliest acquisitions. It demonstrates not only Britain's acknowledgement of the continuing high quality of workmanship and the inventiveness of design in the French decorative arts, but the perceived need for British goldsmiths and designers to improve their skills by studying the best French examples.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Chased, oxidized silver, parcel-gilt |
| Brief description | Silver, Continental |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Object history | Made by Frederic-Jules Rudolphi (born in Copenhagen, Denmark, 1808, died in Paris, probably in 1872). Purchased from the Exhibition of Industrial Art, Paris, 1844 |
| Summary | Object Type A perfume bottle, intended for display. Design & Designers This bottle was made by the renowned French silversmith Frédéric-Jules Rudolphi and was exhibited at the Exhibition of Industrial Art, held in Paris in 1844. As with many of his contemporaries, Rudolphi was particularly interested in surface treatment, and this vase is oxydised and parcel-gilt (partly gilded). Rudolphi's designs were eclectic, drawing on a number of stylistic sources that included Oriental, Renaissance and Gothic art. Historical Association This vase was selected for the government-sponsored Schools of Design by Charles Heath Wilson, a leading figure in design education, who was Director of the School of Design in London from 1843 to 1847. In this capacity he made a number of purchases of objects for the Schools of Design Collection, which were to form the core of the Museum of Ornamental Art, later the South Kensington Museum, which in turn became the Victoria & Albert Museum. This vase was purchased for £40 and is one of the Museum's earliest acquisitions. It demonstrates not only Britain's acknowledgement of the continuing high quality of workmanship and the inventiveness of design in the French decorative arts, but the perceived need for British goldsmiths and designers to improve their skills by studying the best French examples. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 919-1844 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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