The Bluebird of Happiness
Bowl
1939-1940 (made)
1939-1940 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Omar Ramsden (1873-1939), who designed this bowl, called it "the Bluebird of Happiness". The name comes from the two small applied handles, each in the form of a bird emerging from two leafy branches.
As a young man Ramsden was an active and keen promoter of amateur dramatics and this design appears to have been influenced by a play called L'Oiseau bleu (The Blue Bird). It was the work of the Belgian writer Maurice Maeterlinck. He was one of the leading figures of the Symbolist movement and achieved great contemporary popularity with the play, which was first performed in 1908.
As a young man Ramsden was an active and keen promoter of amateur dramatics and this design appears to have been influenced by a play called L'Oiseau bleu (The Blue Bird). It was the work of the Belgian writer Maurice Maeterlinck. He was one of the leading figures of the Symbolist movement and achieved great contemporary popularity with the play, which was first performed in 1908.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Bluebird of Happiness (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Silver, raised, with applied cast handles |
| Brief description | Bowl, silver, London 1939-40, mark of Omar Ramsden |
| Physical description | Low, shaped body on circular foot with stepped moulding. Two handles each in the form of a bird emerging from two foliated branches, give the piece its name. The design presumably inspired by Maeterlinck. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Bequeathed by John Thompson, in memory of his wife Adeline |
| Object history | Acquisition RF: 74 / 2751 Bequest - John Thompson Esq. in memory of his wife Adeline The handles, each in the form of a bird emerging from two foliated branches, give the piece its name. The design appears to have been influenced by Maeterlinck, the Belgian poetic dramatist and essayist and one of the leading figures in the Symbolist movement. He achieved great contemporary popularity with his play, L'Oiseau Bleu (The Blue Bird) which was first performed in 1908. In his youth, Ramsden was an active and keen promoter of amateur dramatics. |
| Historical context | This bowl was presented to the Museum by the executor of John Thompson, Dr. Keith Thompson, Mr. John Thompson's nephew and heir. Apart from this bequest to the Museum, Keith Thompson inherited a collection of Ramsden pieces. Adeline Thompson predeceased her husband by five months. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Omar Ramsden (1873-1939), who designed this bowl, called it "the Bluebird of Happiness". The name comes from the two small applied handles, each in the form of a bird emerging from two leafy branches. As a young man Ramsden was an active and keen promoter of amateur dramatics and this design appears to have been influenced by a play called L'Oiseau bleu (The Blue Bird). It was the work of the Belgian writer Maurice Maeterlinck. He was one of the leading figures of the Symbolist movement and achieved great contemporary popularity with the play, which was first performed in 1908. |
| Bibliographic reference | Capiteyn, André, ed. L'Oiseau bleu, À la recherche du bonheur, Ghent, Kunsthal Sint-Pietersabdij, Snoeck, 2011. ISBN. 9789461610300. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.37-1974 |
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| Record created | March 3, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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