Robert Cooke English Parian Hand Double Vase, Aesthetic Period, circa 1875

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Robert Cooke English Parian Hand Double Vase, Aesthetic Period, circa 1875

An unusual English Victorian parian ware hand-form double vase … Read more Robert Cooke English Parian Hand Double Vase, Aesthetic Period, circa 1875

An unusual English Victorian parian ware hand-form double vase or bonbon dish, attributed to Robert Cooke of Hanley, Staffordshire, and dating to circa 1871–1879. The sculptural white porcelain composition belongs to the Aesthetic period and combines figural modeling with naturalistic basket, textile, and floral ornament.

A gracefully modeled feminine hand extends horizontally across the base, supporting a large oval basket with molded wickerwork, a rope-twist rim, and an applied flowering grapevine. Behind it rises a second receptacle formed as the woman’s cuff or sleeve, with textured fabric-like walls and a softly folded rim. The two openings allow the piece to function as a double vase, bonbon dish, desk organizer, or decorative centerpiece.

The molded base is enriched with raised roses and foliage. Roses traditionally represented affection and beauty, while grapes and vines symbolized abundance, hospitality, and friendship—particularly appropriate for an object designed to hold flowers or present sweets.

Parian ware was developed in England during the 1840s as a fine, marble-like porcelain suitable for reproducing sculptural forms. Its restrained white surface emphasizes the modeled fingers, woven basket, folded textile, and botanical details without relying on painted decoration.

The faint raised crowned-R mark appears to be a manufacturer’s device rather than a British registration diamond. It supports attribution to Robert Cooke, who produced Parian ware at the Brewery Street Works in Hanley from 1871 to 1879, including wares intended for export.

Dimensions: 8 in. W × 3.5 in. D × 5 in. H; base 6.75 × 3.5 in. See less