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Vase with flower arrangement and scrollwork

Unknown

1775

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Mughal Painting Romanticism 18th Century Still Life Lucknow

Dominant colour

Vase with flower arrangement and scrollwork is a 1775 unspecified by Unknown, a Mughal Painting work, depicting Lucknow, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1775 · Mughal Painting
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a tall blue-and-white vase brimming with flowers, framed by curling gold scrolls. This painting was made for a wealthy patron in Lucknow, India. The vase itself is Chinese, made for export—proof of global trade at the time. The overflowing blooms symbolize abundance, an old Indian idea. To see more objects that traveled between cultures, look up Mughal India.

The story of this work

Overview

The symmetry of the floral arrangement emerging from the blue-and-white porcelain vase reveals an idealized vision. The overflowing vase is among the most ancient motifs in Indian art, used to convey the concept of abundance. This image, made for an elite patron of northern India, implies the prosperity that has accrued from international connections. The vase, painted with a European-style landscape, is of the type that was made in China for export to Europe. The scrolling ornament on either side may be ultimately derived from Persian motifs, but reworked into a European style, painted by…