Heron service thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 139, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Heron service

Ice Bucket
ca. 1915 (made), 1886-1888 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Bing & Grøndahl (manufacturer)
Købke Krohn, Pietro (designer)
Brandstrup, Ludvig (modeller)
Schjeltved, C.O. (modeller)
Place of origin
Copenhagen (made)

Porcelain ice bucket with scalloped rim, decorated with moulded herons on the exterior and interspersed by trees, painted in gilt and underglaze blue.


Object details

Categories
Ceramics
Porcelain
Object type
Ice bucket
Titles
  • Heron service (manufacturer's title)
  • Hejrestellet (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Porcelain with moulded decoration painted in underglaze blue and gilding
Porcelain
Glaze
Gilt
Cobalt Blue
Painted
Moulded
Glazed
Brief description
Ice bucket, part of a table service 'Hejrestellet' (Heron service), porcelain with moulded decoration, painted in gilt and underglaze blue, part of a table service 'Hejrestellet' (Heron Service), designed by Pietro Krohn, the original modelled by Ludvig Brandstrup and C.O. Schjeltved, manufactured by Bing & Grøndahl, Denmark, ca. 1915.
Physical description
Porcelain ice bucket with scalloped rim, decorated with moulded herons on the exterior and interspersed by trees, painted in gilt and underglaze blue.
Dimensions
  • Height: 12.5cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'B' (Painted in underglaze blue)
  • 'W.M.' (Painted in gold)
Gallery label
  • Label for 'American and European Art and Design 1800-1900', Gallery 101, de-canted March 2017: '5 Ice Bucket from the 'Heron' Service 1886-8 The 'Heron Service' was launched in 1888 at the Scandinavian Exhibition in Copenhagen. Notable for using lowly underglaze blue for luxury decoration, the service was also shown and praised at the Paris 1889 exhibition. Krohn was the leader of the Danish 'Japonisme' movement. His design uses Japanese motifs but in a solid, symmetrical, European manner. Denmark, Copenhagen; designed by Pietro Købke; manufactured by Bing & Grøndahl Porcelain, with moulded decoration, painted in underglaze blue and gilding Museum no. C.236-1986'(22/04/2017)
  • ICE BUCKET C.236-1986 'American and European Art and Design 1800-1900' This bucket forms part of the Heron Service (Hejrestellet) launched by Bing and Grøndahl in 1888 at the Scandinavian Exhibition in Copenhagen. Krohn became their art director in 1886, when an exhibition of Chinese and Japanese art took place in Copenhagen. He was sculptor, ceramicist, illustrator, artist, writer and a leader if the Danish Japonisme movement. The 1888 Exhibition also included Japanese art, arranged by the connoisseur Karl Madsen. This service, notable for using lowly underglaze blue for luxury decoration, was also shown and praised at the Paris 1889 Exhibition. (1987-2006)
Object history
Part of a table service 'Hejrestellet' (Heron service) [C.236 to B-1986].
Subjects depicted
Birds
Trees
Bibliographic reference
Opie, Jennifer Hawkins. Scandinavia: ceramics & glass in the twentieth century. London: V&A Publications, 1989. 35 p. ISBN 1851770712.
Collection
Ceramics Collection
Accession number
C.236-1986

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdApril 11, 2006
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O122956/heron-service-ice-bucket-købke-krohn-pietro/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest