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Poet's Pitcher

A work made of parian porcelain.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of parian porcelain.

Date:

1875–86

Artist:

Union Porcelain Works
American, 1863–c. 1922
Designed by Karl L. H. Müller
American, 1820–1887

About this artwork

Union Porcelain Works was known for making doorknobs and other utilitarian objects before expanding into fine tablewares that could compete with imported products. Karl L. H. Müller, a German-born sculptor, was hired to design inventive works that went into production around the time of the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. This pitcher, which depicts six poets in profile encircling the body of the vessel, received international acclaim, as did Müller’s other designs for Union Porcelain. One account of his works on display at the Philadelphia exhibition declared them exemplary of “what can be done in art pottery on this side of the water.”

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Union Porcelain Works (Manufacturer)

Title

Poet's Pitcher

Place

Greenpoint (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

c. 1875–1886

Medium

Parian porcelain

Inscriptions

Marked on underside of base with an eagle's head and the letter "S" with "Union Porcelain Works, Greenpoint, N.Y." above 1 86 in a yellow circular decorator's mark.

Dimensions

H.: 218 cm (8 9/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of the Antiquarian Society through Mrs. Eric. Oldberg

Reference Number

1996.14

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/144346/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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