Lot Essay
This vase is very similar to a Copeland vase in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum no. 8022-1862), which was made especially for the 1862 International Exhibition in London. Both are of very large size and finely painted by C.F. Hürten below a turquoise ground neck. The major manufactories in Britain, including Copeland, produced their largest and most impressive pieces for such international fairs to demonstrate their technical abilities, the skill of their painters and the quality of their design. The size of this vase is a technical masterpiece and the painted decoration by Charles Ferdinand Hürten represents the highest-quality flower painting of the time.
Charles Ferdinand Hürten (1818-1901) was born in Germany but worked mainly in Britain and France. He was one of Europe's foremost flower painters, and worked independently for decorating workshops in Paris before Copeland invited him to join the company after seeing his painting in the national exhibition in Paris in 1858. Hürten remained with the factory until his retirement in 1897, his work featuring in the company's displays in major exhibitions across several decades.