Inventory Number COR022
Size 3" H x 4" W
Material Studio Stoneware
Period Art Nouveau
Country of Origin Denmark
Year Made c. 1890
Condition Excellent
Christian Thomsen for Royal Copenhagen
This Baby Dragon bowl was made at the Royal Porcelain Factory of Copenhagen, founded in 1775. Following the privatization of Royal Copenhagen in 1882, and their new settlement on the outskirts of the capital, the type of ceramic wares that they produced started to change. The modernization of the company contributed to the creation of imaginative pieces such as this bowl, made by ceramist Christian Thomsen. The subject matter clearly results from East Asian influences, and evokes the fascination of Art nouveau artists for the visual arts of the Far East. Using stoneware as a material, the object is covered in a deep green glaze recalling pictorial depictions of dragons. Subtle shades of red outline some of the body parts of the creature. The highly expressive bas-relief gives three-dimensionality to an otherwise simple, round-shaped bowl.