Vase, 'Secessionist' ware

This 'Secessionist' ware vase was made by English pottery manufacturer Mintons Ltd. The dates of production for Secessionist ware are generally given as 1902 until about 1914, although vases in this style were still being advertised in Mintons' catalogues in the late 1920s. The ware derived its name from the Viennese Secession movement, an important early twentieth-century movement of artists and designers who sought to break from the past and launch a new style for a new century.

Minton’s Secessionist ware is characterised by bold shapes and striking combinations of brightly-coloured lead glazes. It was designed by Léon Solon and John Wadsworth, who drew inspiration from both continental Art Nouveau, characterised by sinuous lines and organic shapes, and the more geometric style of the Glasgow School. The pieces they designed were mass-produced by Mintons and therefore relatively affordable, so they were perfect for middle-class consumers wanting to update their homes in the new style.

This particular vase is from the Walter C Cook Collection of Decorative Arts. Over a twenty-five year period, Wellington collector Walter Cook developed a significant collection of British and European decorative arts. In 1992 he gave his collection to the National Museum, now known as Te Papa.

Further Reading

• Aslin. Elizabeth and Paul Atterbury. 1976. Minton 1798-1910. London: Victoria and Albert Museum; Thomas Goose & Co Ltd.
• Jones, Joan. 1993. Minton: The First Two Hundred Years of Design and Production. Shrewsbury: Swan Hill Press.
• Muter, Grant. 1985. ‘Léon Solon and John Wadsworth: Joint Designers of Minton’s Secessionist Ware’. The Journal of the Decorative Arts Society 1850 – the Present (no. 9, Aspects of British Design 1870-1930): 41-49.