Photograph by Ed Pollard, Hasselblad H4D50 - 2013.

Antarctic Vase

Designer George Woodall (British, 1850 - 1925)

Manufacturer Thomas Webb & Sons (British (Stourbridge, England), 1837 - 1990)

CultureEnglish

Dateca. 1908-1911

MediumBlown, cased, etched, and cameo-carved glass

DimensionsOverall: 16 in. (40.6 cm)
Overall, Rim: 3 7/16 in. (8.7 cm)

InscribedEngraved around bottom edge: "Antarctic Vase".

Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.

Object number71.4298

Collections

Glass Art

On View

On view

DescriptionThis "antarctic" cameo vase and stand was designed and carved by George Woodall in 1912 to commemorate the Robert Falcon Scott Antarctic Polar Exploration of 1901-1904. It is made of acid etched and cameo carved opaque white glass over citron colored glass. The image of the ice-bound, steam barque, DISCOVERY derives from a watercolor by E.A. Wilson first published in 1905. The curtain-like motif below the icicles on the neck of the vase represents the aurora australis or southern lights. Antarctic birds shown include penguins, petrels, and gulls. The walrus, an animal native to the Arctic, was evidently included by mistake.

Label TextGeorge Woodall English, 1850–1925 Thomas Webb & Sons Stourbridge, England Antarctic Vase, ca. 1908–11 Blown, cased, etched, and cameo-carved glass Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.4298 George Woodall created this vase just before he retired, and it demonstrates the pinnacle of his skills. It shows the British explorer Robert Falcon Scott on his race to the South Pole from 1901 to 1904. On his first voyage, he came closer than anyone had before, though he ultimately perished on a subsequent attempt. The vase celebrates his efforts with birds swirling in the wind, thick icicles hanging heavy on its neck, and a tiny team of sled dogs zipping across the tundra. The walrus adds a dramatic touch, even though the animal, found only in the Arctic, was included by mistake. Exhibition History"Cameo Performances: Masterpieces of Cameo Glass from the Chrysler Collection," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA., June 29, 2008 - December 30, 2012. Published ReferencesCorning JOURNAL OF GLASS STUDIES, VI, 1964, pg. 168-169, fig. 58. Ray & Lee Grover, CARVED AND DECORATED EUROPEAN ART GLASS, 31 & 51, pl. 42-43. G.W. Beard, NINETEENTH CENTURY CAMEO GLASS, 77. CAMEO GLASS MASTERPIECES FROM 2000 YEARS OF GLASSMAKING (illustrated #66, p. 75 and 114 -- "England, Stourbridge, late 19th century, George Woodall"). Grover, ENGLISH CAMEO GLASS, 55, 204. Nancy O. Merrill, A CONCISE HISTORY OF GLASS REPRESENTED IN THE CHRYSLER MUSEUM GLASS COLLECTION (Norfolk, VA: The Chrysler Museum, 1989), Color Plate No. 48, 44; No. 48, 191. David Whitehouse, ENGLISH CAMEO GLASS IN THE CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS (Corning, NY: The Corning Museum of Glass, 1994), Fig. 51, p. 55 (ill. in color); No. 51, 62. Judith Miller. A CLOSER LOOK AT ANTIQUES: A VISUAL GUIDE TO IDENTIFYING, DATING & AUTHENTICATING. London: Marshall Editions Ltd. 2000, 201. Christopher Woodall Perry. THE CAMEO GLASS OF THOMAS AND GEORGE WOODALL. Somerset, England: Richard Dennis. 2000: back cover. Jeff Harrison, _Collecting with Vision: Treasures From the Chrysler Museum of Art_ (London: D. Giles Ltd., 2007), 130, fig. 159. ISBN: 978-0-940744-72-1 Diane C. Wright (editor), _Glass Masterworks from the Chrysler Museum of Art_ (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2017), pg. 126-127. Elizabeth and Frank Creech, "Masterpieces!," in _Perfume Bottle Quarterly_, Winter 2021, p.10.