c. 1875-1876

Vase Commemorative 1876

This vase and its mate are smaller versions of a monumental pair exhibited in Philadelphia at the Centennial Exhibition of 1876 by the French firm of Haviland and Company. Designed by Félix Bracquemond, they celebrate the hundredth birthday of the United States, one vase commemorating the country’s declaration of independence in 1776, and this one celebrating its national prosperity a century later. In addition to the large pair, now in the Smithsonian Institution, Haviland produced only two smaller versions; this pair at the Philadelphia Museum of Art is the only smaller pair still known.

Topped by a bust of America flanked by the winged figures of Fame and Victory, the 1876 vase is inscribed with the names and dates of US presidents from Washington through Ulysses S. Grant, and its base is decorated with plows, wheat, and fruit, symbolizing the nation’s abundance and connection to the land.