What a Beauty

On April 24th to launch #Museum Week, Louise Irvine talked about all the Flappers, Vamps & Divas at WMODA. Many were portrayed in porcelain by Goldscheider of Austria, whose artists were inspired by the pin-up movie stars of the Art Deco era. Beauty by Stephan Dakon represents Lilian Harvey, the

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All That Glistens

At WMODA, all that glistens is not gold. Often it is the reflective surface of the lustrous metallic glazes which shimmer and glisten as they refract the light. One of the pioneers of iridescent luster glazes in England was William de Morgan, who rediscovered the art of the Persian potters.

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Mother’s Day

As Mother’s Day approaches on Sunday, May 13, we are looking at how pottery and porcelain artists have expressed the joys of motherhood. In Contentment, a 1920s Royal Doulton figure by Leslie Harradine, he portrays the maternal bond between his wife and their first-born child. Royal Doulton artists often chose

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World Expo Wares at WMODA

World Expo Wares at WMODA The Wiener Museum of Decorative Arts is very privileged to have an extensive collection of exhibition vases on display in the Royal Doulton Gallery.  Most notable are the exhibits made for the World’s Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in 1893 to mark the 400th anniversary

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Earth Day

Earth Day 2018 is April 22nd and the focus will be on environmental issues that the world faces. The special day was proposed in 1969 to honor the earth and the concept of peace on the first day of spring. Earth Day was first celebrated in the US on April

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Poetry Month

April is national poetry month so we are highlighting the Parian porcelain statue of Sappho, which stands at the entrance to WMODA. Sappho was a poet from ancient Greece, admired throughout antiquity for her lyric poetry which was recited rhythmically to the music of a lyre. She was sometimes referred

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Crocs & Gators in Art

You should “never smile at a crocodile” according to the humorous children’s song. However, we can’t help smiling at all the intrepid Zulu crocodile riders traveling happily on the backs of these formidable reptiles with wide toothy grins at WMODA. The Nile Crocodile, which can grow up to 20 feet,

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Daffy Down Dilly

Hosts of golden daffodils herald the arrival of Spring in the north. By April they can be found fluttering and dancing in the breeze throughout the Lake District where Wordsworth was inspired to write his famous poem. Hundreds of thousands of daffodils also carpet the New York Botanical Garden in

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Circus Dreams

The circus was a hugely popular form of family entertainment during the 1920s and 30s. Adults and children alike were enraptured by the thrilling acrobatics, the performing animals, the spangles of the costumes, and the antics of the clowns. Many artists of the era were inspired to record the romance

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Artistry in Action Event

On International Women’s Day, the Wiener Museum is celebrating all the wonderful women who contributed to our Artistry in Action event on March 7th. Around 200 guests attended the evening’s activities which included demonstrations of glass fusing, pottery painting and jewelry making by local artists. Visitors could appreciate first hand

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