Vase in the Form of a Tropical Plant with Bird and Deity

Museum record 212301: Vase in the Form of a Tropical Plant with Bird and Deity by Paul Gauguin. A verified entry point for discovery.

What to notice

For Vase in the Form of a Tropical Plant with Bird and Deity (record 212301), start with modern, expressive, atmospheric. Compare the focal subject, edge treatment, and atmosphere before moving on.

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In I886 Paul Gauguin was invited to design artistic pottery with the well-known ceramist Ernest Chaplet. Rather than simply decorating premade vessels, Gauguin chose to model his own unconventional forms by hand, jokingly calling them his “monstrosities.” Here the wide lip and distinctive shoulder of the vase echo the shape of the tall plant on its surface, while the protruding leaves on its sides suggest handles yet have no utilitarian function. Gauguin decorated this vase with a mix of motifs, includin…