Potpourri vase

ca. 1765

Porcelain vases with pierced lids and shoulders were used as containers for aromatic mixtures of flowers. Potpourri was either a liquid scented with flower petals and herbs or a blend of dried flowers and herbs. Vases containing these mixtures were strategically placed in rooms throughout homes.

Soft paste porcelain

13 1/2 x 4 1/8 in. (34.3 x 10.48 cm)

Gift of Martha and Henry Isaacson

76.237

Provenance: Collection of Mr and Mrs Henry and Martha Isaacson, unknown purchase date until 1976; gift from Mr and Mrs Henry and Martha Isaacson to Seattle Art Museum, Washington, 1976

Photo: Paul Macapia

Now on view at the Seattle Art Museum

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, "Porcelain Stories: From China to Europe", February 17, 2000-May 7, 2000 (2/17/2000 - 5/7/2000)

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, "Bird Sanctuary", August 17, 1995 - February 11, 1996. (08/17/1995 - 02/11/1996)

Published ReferencesEmerson, Julie, Jennifer Chen, & Mimi Gardner Gates, "Porcelain Stories, From China to Europe", Seattle Art Museum, 2000, pg. 242

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