Physical object: Japanese vase (as seen in photos of Barnum's homes)

This porcelain Japanese vase owned by the P. T. Barnum family was likely acquired by or presented as a gift to Barnum's second wife, Nancy Fish Barnum. The two-piece vase stands about 31 to 32 inches tall, and is hand painted. It features four panels, depicting flowering landscapes and Japanese figures. Painted all over the surface of the vase are flowers in orange, red, blue, gold, and gray. Large crested birds are included in the design. The creator and date are unknown. This distinctive vase with its long narrow neck and flared top with undulating or "ruffled" edge is featured in several interior photographs of the Barnum's last two Bridgeport homes, Waldemere and Marina; apparently it was a favorite object, as it was moved from room to room during the photography session. During the latter half of the 1800s, taste in art and interior design in the Western hemisphere was highly influenced by the Japanese aesthetic due to the opening of Japan to the West in 1853. Including Japanese art and decorative arts objects in one's home decor became extremely popular for those who could afford the luxury. The obvious presence of the vase in the Barnum photographs suggests their taste was up-to-date. Moreover, this vase was seemingly a favorite of Nancy Fish Barnum, not only because it appears in multiple photographs of the Bridgeport home interiors, but also because she is shown seated beside this vase in a portrait photograph. See records for 1970.006.003 CD where it is in the Marina hall; 1970.006.003 KL where it is in the Marina drawing room; in 1970.006.003 Q; and 1970.006.003 WX. where it is in Nancy Fish Barnum's bedroom. In 1893, two years after Barnum's death, Nancy remarried and decided to move to Europe. Nancy gave the vase to one of her neighbors, and the item was passed down through that family until the last owner presented it to the museum.