Look to the East: Decorative Arts and Orientalism, 1870–1920 June 24–October 23, 2016
Etablissement Gallé, Elephant Vase, 1918–31, glass, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, gift of J. Brian and Varina Eby.
William Frend De Morgan, “Peacocks” Charger, c. 1880, earthenware with luster glaze, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, bequest of Mary Beth Baird, and the Arch and Stella Rowan Foundation, Inc., Mr. and Mrs. John W. Mecom, Jr., Mrs. Albert Bel Fay, Stanley Ward, the Sealy Family Trust, and Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Wolf, all by exchange.
Herter Brothers, Side Chair, c. 1877–78, ebonized cherry, maple, satinwood, and gilt, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Museum purchase funded by the Stella H. and Arch S. Rowan Foundation, Inc.
Joseph-Théodore Deck, Vase, c. 1880, earthenware, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Museum purchase funded by the Museum Collectors.
J. & J. G. Low Art Tile Works, Shelf Clock, c. 1884, brass and earthenware, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Museum purchase funded by Dr. and Mrs. John R. Kelsey, Jr.
Julia Munson, Tiffany Glass & Decorating Company, Vase, 1898–1902, enamel on copper, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, gift of Mr. and Mrs. John W. Mecom, Jr.
Lockwood de Forest, Chair, c. 1885, teak with upholstery, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Museum purchase funded by the Mary Kathryn Lynch Kurtz Charitable Lead Trust Fund.
Tiffany Glass & Decorating Company, Vase, 1896, glass, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, gift of Mr. and Mrs. John W. Mecom, Jr.
Look to the East: Decorative Arts and Orientalism, 1870–1920 explores the cultures of “the East” or “the Orient”—including North Africa, the Middle East, India, China, and Japan—and their influence on Western artists and designers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
More than 40 works of art showcase exotic forms, materials, techniques, and ornament created from 1870 to 1920. The selections comprise American and European decorative arts from the Museum’s collection. Moorish-style ceramics, Indian “Paisley” shawls, Japoniste silver, and Chinese-inspired bamboo furniture are just some of the elegant objects on view. Among the names represented are Gorham Manufacturing Company, Herter Brothers, Rookwood Pottery, Tiffany & Company, and Worcester Porcelain Manufactory.
This exhibition is organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.