Octagonal vase with scenes of the story of the silkworm

After the end of the Flight, Barr & Barr ownership of the Worcester factory in 1840, the firm went through a succession of owners and mergers before falling under the ownership of Kerr & Binns in 1852. During the partnership, the factory sought to rebuild its former eighteenth-century reputation in porcelain and known for Renaissance-inspired designs. With the establishment of the Royal Worcester Porcelain Company in 1862, the company gradually gained recognition for its Japanese-inspired designs, which formed part of Japonisme, a collective fascination with Japan that took place in Europe and the United States following the opening of Japanese markets to the West by Commodore Perry in 1853.

Credit: Gift of Helene Fortunoff and Robert Grossman, 2017