Rare Antique Copper Vase Jessie M Preston Art Nouveau 15 Inch 1904

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Rare Antique Copper Vase Jessie M Preston Art Nouveau 15 Inch 1904:
$15000.00

Would you like an unusual museum worthy piece to adorn your home with? This copper vase crafted by the renowned and talented metalsmith Jessie M. Preston (1873-1962) may be for you. It stands just under 15 inches tall, with a 7.5 inch diameter from the top, making for a substantial but unobtrusive size. The edges of the vase gently curve outward, making its form reminiscent of a flower. Well befitting the naturalistic touch of the Art Nouveau style. The sides of the vase are decorated with unusual black patterns that appear almost as if they’re a hilly landscape rendered in ink. To be completely honest we do not know how the artist achieved this effect, but it is impressive nevertheless.
There are a lot of unanswered mysteries surrounding this vase. We can only guess how this vase was made. We know it was forged in the Anderson foundry of Chicago. It’s highly likely that some sort of acid was applied to achieve the patterns of the outside. It is quite possible wax was used in the crafting of its interior. We hypothesize there may be some Japanese influence in this work. According to the Art Institute of Chicago they had a Japanese metalsmith on staff at the turn of the century, perhaps Jessie Preston gained some inspiration from them. The dark patterns evoke a natural landscape without adhering to any specific form. An ephemeral touch to a solidly built piece.
One thing you may be wondering is how we know this vase is the work of Jessie Preston at all. There is no signature to be found, and we don’t have documentation to prove the connection with 100% certainty. Frankly I doubt there is a way to prove this vase’s status or crafting method with objective certainty at this point. Anyone involved in this vase’s creation is long dead. What we do have is an oral history, what was passed down from the previous owner to the current one. So here’s a bit of that information.
At one point this vase was in the possession of a woman named Mary K. Harms of Dolton, Illinois. This woman got training at the Hull House and knew Jessie Preston. When the current owner purchased this vase there was an accompanying pair of candlesticks along with it. They were signed by Jessie Preston, made using the same heavy copper material, and had rather similar looking interiors to the inside of this vase. Regrettably the current owner did not shell out for the candlesticks as well, and we do not know where those candlesticks went afterwards. So if you’d like to unravel the mystery of this vase those are some leads to look into.
It's a distinctive finely crafted vase that has outlived its creator and is likely to outlive anyone reading this too unless something drastic happens. If you examine it closely you will find some hints of wear and rough handling over the years, but by and large it has held up remarkably well. We'll surely miss it when it's gone.