Terms and Conditions
The artist, title and date of the work must be listed anywhere the image is reproduced:
Christopher Dresser (designer)
James Couper & Sons, Glasgow (manufacturer)
Clutha, propeller vase (c. 1895)
glass
28.3 × 11.3 cm diameter
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased with funds donated by Merv Keehn and Sue Harlow, 2025
Photo: National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Where possible, the image must be reproduced in full (no cropping or over-printing). If you wish to use a detail of the work, a full reproduction of the work must also be reproduced elsewhere in the publication.
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Clutha, propeller vase
(c. 1895)
Medium
glass
Measurements
28.3 × 11.3 cm diameter
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased with funds donated by Merv Keehn and Sue Harlow, 2025
Gallery location
18th & 19th Century Decorative Arts & Paintings Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
About this work
Christopher Dresser began designing glass later in his career, and from 1888 to 1896 produced a range of ornamental vases and tablewares known as ‘clutha’, which were retailed by Liberty & Co. The name ‘clutha’ came from the old Gaelic name for the river Clyde in Glasgow. The Propeller vase was one of Dresser’s most progressive designs, its twisting form based upon his earlier ceramic vase and resembling swirling drapery. This example has aventurine (golden) striations and air bubbles within the glass, emphasising the form of the vase and celebrating its unique manufacturing process, an aspect Dresser was keen to emphasise.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
Glasgow, Scotland
Accession Number
2025.532
Department
International Decorative Arts