Decorative Accessories

Pair of Mantel Vases

Factory of Jacob Petit (French, 1796–1868)

c.1850-1860

Fontainebleau, France

Porcelain with overglaze enamel decoration and gilding

Photograph©Neal Auction Company, New Orleans, LA

Throughout the Victorian era, tastemakers, authors of household management guides, and writers who contributed articles to ladies' fashion periodicals espoused the virtues of decorative objects in the home. As the period progressed from the early through the middle to the late Victorian years, opinions and advice on the amount, type, and arrangement of decorations changed according to new tastes and fashions, but one philosophy remained constant—decorations were essential to the creation of tasteful and sophisticated domestic interiors. It was further believed that through decorations, the lady of the house could cultivate for her family a secure and comfortable living environment that was both spiritually and morally uplifting.

Figure of a Blacksmith

Modeled by Karl L. H. Mueller (American, born Germany, 1820-1887)

Union Porcelain Works (active 1863-c.1922)

c.1876

New York City, New York

Porcelain

Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY

Victorian homes included many surfaces to decorate—mantelpieces, overmantels, center tables, occasional tables, étagères, pedestals, stands, pianos, wall brackets, and hanging cabinets. The vast array of objets d'art and decorations included sets of girandoles, mantel lusters, vases, urns, jardinières, busts, statues, statuettes, mantel clock garnitures, cabinet plates, boxes, and baskets. These were manufactured from a variety of materials ranging from pottery and porcelain with painted decoration, molded or cut glass, papier-mâché, gutta-percha, marble, onyx, and alabaster to cast iron, silver, silverplate, patinated bronze, gilded bronze, and gilded brass. In order to meet the enormous demand for tasteful and stylish decorative objects, American retailers of household goods offered a variety of items manufactured in both the United States and Europe.

Candelabrum

Cornelius & Baker (active 1851-1869)

c.1853

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Gilded bronze

Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY

Bust of a Child

Modeled by Karl L. H. Mueller (American, born Germany, 1820-1887)

Union Porcelain Works (active 1863-c.1922)

Late 19th century

New York City, New York

Porcelain

Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY

Girandoles

Cornelius & Company (active 1839-1851)

1848-1851

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Gilded bronze, marble, glass

Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL

The Council of War

John Rogers (American, 1829-1904)

1868

New York City, New York

Plaster

Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY

Jardinière and Stand

Factory of Jacob Petit (French, 1796–1868)

c.1834-1848

Fontainebleau, France

Porcelain with overglaze enamel decoration and gilding

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Mantel Clock Garniture Retailed by Tiffany & Company (active 1837-present) c.1885 New York City, New York Marble, bronze The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Pair of Candelabra c.1870 Probably France Bronze, black marble Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY