Two-handled flask, one of a pair

This pair of flasks was designed for the English aesthete, scholar and collector, Alfred Morrison (1821-1897). During the early 1860s Morrison hired designer Owen Jones to decorate and furnish his estate in Wiltshire, Fonthill House and his house at 16 Carlton House Terrace in London. Morrison's London house has survived with much of the original Islamic decoration intact. These flasks were probably placed upon a mantelpiece in front of a mirror in the townhouse so that the decoration could be seen in the round. The French glass manufacturer Philippe-Joseph Brocard applied the enamel ornament inspired by Islamic mosque lamps, incorporating Morrison's entwined initials AM in the design. Brocard revived in France the art of enamel on glass, a technique that was developed in Syria during the 14th century. Note in this gallery a marquetry panel also designed by Owen Jones for Morrison's townhouse.