"Wild Rose" Lily vase

New England Glass Company

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The second half of the nineteenth century witnessed a proliferation of highly ornamental decorative arts in nearly every medium. Glassmakers during this period were experimenting with new techniques, introducing bold color effects, and embracing exotic influences. Many new lines of art glass imitated other materials. This monumental vase was made in imitation of the well-known Chinese porcelain peachblow glaze. Called "Wild Rose" by the New England Glass Company, and patented on March 2, 1886, the opaque glass is shaded from white at the foot to pale pink to deep rose at the uppermost portion. The sheer size of this example is unprecedented, as most vases of this type of glass typically range in size from 5 or 6 inches to 15 inches in height. Its scale and attenuated form of an elongated lily shape with flared petal-form top and ruffled rim make this an exceedingly elegant example.

The American Wing

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The American Wing's ever-evolving collection comprises some 20,000 works of art by African American, Euro American, Latin American, and Native American men and women. Ranging from the colonial to early-modern periods, the holdings include painting, sculpture, works on paper, and decorative arts—including furniture, textiles, ceramics, glass, silver, metalwork, jewelry, basketry, quill and bead embroidery—as well as historical interiors and architectural fragments.

Metropolitan Museum of Art