Early Secessionist art vase from Mintons c1900. The vase is of tapering cylindrical form. Decorated in a turquoise-blue ground with stylised Art Nouveau floral and foliate design repeated around its body and in bands at its rim and base. Designed by Leon Victor Solon. Base has Mintons Ltd printed mark and registered design number 616446. The vase is 18.5 cm in height.
 
Leon Victor Solon joined Mintons in 1895 with the aim of revitalising the company’s designs – resulting in Mintons extremely successful Secessionist range. Early pieces designed by Solon were more overtly art nouveau in shape, pattern and even colour – featuring flowers and various art nouveau motifs and favouring blues, greens, and turquoise grounds with sand and salmon pink decorations which were popular at the time. Wares were produced in a variety of techniques with the basic shape being produced in some quantity in moulds incorporating the raised relief. These would then be passed to decorators. They were encouraged to be quite loose in their technique so that runs and irregularities could be seen. This in effect meant that the pottery was a combination of industrial production and ‘art pottery’ finish. Solon left Mintons in 1905 resulting in new designs from John Wadsworth who joined the company, also in 1905. Many of Solon’s most successful designs continued to be made but with the introduction of stronger colours, especially reds, pinks and blues. At the same time Wadsworth introduced new patterns using slip trailing which after 1906 virtually replaced moulded relief on new designs. Most of Solon’s designs were dropped by 1912 after which designs became increasingly abstract – even looking forward to the art deco style. Production continued until 1919 when the last catalogue was produced.