This pair of Royal Worcester vases captures the Aesthetic Movement’s fascination with Japanese art, expressed here through crisp blue landscapes of cranes and bamboo rendered on soft white porcelain.
Crafted in England by Royal Worcester circa 1870, the vases feature a square, architectural form, enlivened by raised blue decoration that adds depth to the painted scenes.
Each vase shows a crane poised beneath bamboo or flowering branches, a serene world shaped in the spirit of Japonism.
At the shoulders, expressive lion-dog masks feature bold ring handles.
The vases rise from deep blue, pierced-style feet that anchor the composition with elegance.
Cranes have long symbolized happiness and renewal.
In ancient Greece and Rome, the crane dance was associated with vitality and the joy of life, while across Asia the bird symbolized harmony and enduring youth.
This shared cultural reverence makes the imagery especially fitting for Aesthetic Movement design, where beauty, nature, and refined symbolism converged.
Background of the Aesthetic Movement: The Aesthetic Movement was a late-nineteenth-century artistic philosophy advocating pure beauty and “art for art’s sake.” Designers emphasized the visual and sensual qualities of objects, favoring refined forms, exquisite craftsmanship, and motifs drawn from nature and global artistic traditions over narrative or moral themes.

Dimensions: 11.5″ tall × 4″ across shoulders × 3″ mouth diameter × 3.5″ base
Marks: the Impressed mark for Royal Worcester
Condition: Excellent
Decoration: Raised blue decoration with cranes, bamboo, flowering branches, and pierced-style dark blue bases
Material: Porcelain
Style: Aesthetic Movement, Japonism influence
Date: Circa 1870