Vase
Emile Gallé
(French, 1846–1904)
dated 1891
Medium/TechniqueCased and carved glass
DimensionsH: 16.5 cm (6 1/2in.); W: 15.9 cm (6 1/4 in.)
Credit LineGift of Miss Mildred Kennedy
Accession number53.1009
On View
Not on viewClassificationsGlass
Collections
Gallé is the unrivaled master of French art glass, perfecting the techniques of acid etching and wheel-carving. By the 1880s he was profoundly influenced by Japanese art, especially the practice of juxtaposing image and poetry. This vase is one of a series of verreries parlantes (speaking glasses) that bear poetic inscriptions taken from leading authors of the time. Here, the dark symbolism of the imagery is heightened by the melancholy phrase.
InscriptionsInscribed: "échappez-vous des ombres immobiles" (Escape from the still shadows)ProvenancePossibly after 1904, with George Golding Kennedy (b. 1841 - d. 1918), Milton, MA [see note 1]. By 1942, with his daughter, Mildred Kennedy (b. 1877 - d. 1961), Concord MA; 1953, gift of Mildred Kennedy. (Accession date: June 16, 1953)
NOTES:
[1] See letter from Mildred Kennedy, May 22, 1942, in MFA curatorial file, citing a newspaper clipping of December 6, 1904 which was placed inside the vase by her father. Mildred Kennedy implies in this letter that her father owned the vase which she later inherited.
NOTES:
[1] See letter from Mildred Kennedy, May 22, 1942, in MFA curatorial file, citing a newspaper clipping of December 6, 1904 which was placed inside the vase by her father. Mildred Kennedy implies in this letter that her father owned the vase which she later inherited.
