"Well-Spring" Tumbler

Manufacturermanufactured by Henry Cole (British, 1808 - 1882)

Designerdesigned by Richard Redgrave (British, 1804 - 1888)

ClassificationsDECORATIVE ARTS

Date1847

Mediumglass, painted in enamel

Dimensionsheight: 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm.)

DescriptionThis drinking glass is decorated with a band of enameled yellow and white flowers and green leaves and with yellow and green pointed leaves, with pinkish stems crisscrossing on the disk-shaped foot. The same ornaments are on the matching jug (#2005.3.1).

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 number2005.3.3