"Well-Spring" Jug

Manufacturermanufactured by Henry Cole (British, 1808 - 1882)

Designerdesigned by Richard Redgrave (British, 1804 - 1888)

Collections

British Decorative Art Highlights

ClassificationsDECORATIVE ARTS

Date1847

Mediumglass, painted in enamel

Dimensionsheight: 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm.)

DescriptionThis water jug in colorless glass is decorated with enameled yellow and white flowers and green leaves encircling the body, below the base of the neck and with a band of yellow and green pointed leaves around the body, with pinkish stems crisscrossing on the disk-shaped foot. It is an example of early Victorian design especially promoted by Henry Cole, in which the decoration reflects the function of the object.

Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Status

On view

Label TextHenry Cole believed that public taste would be elevated if well-known painters and sculptors could be brought to design everyday domestic objects like this set of jug and tumblers (#2005.3.1-2005.3.3). To aid in the production of artistic items for the home, Cole founded Felix Summerly's Art Manufacturers, a firm that lasted about three years. The "Well Spring" design was developed by painter and writer Richard Redgrave. Its feathery tendrils of pond grass echo the object's function as a container of water.

Object number2005.3.1