The decoration on this vase combines geometric forms, floral motifs, and birds in a manner reminiscent of Japanese patterns. The finely executed polychrome design displays the artistic skill and meticulous quality control that characterized the work done in the shop of Thomas Webb and Sons. It also indicates that multiple decorative techniques were employed during a period in which the glasshouse was known mostly for its elaborate cut and engraved cameo glass. The European japonisme style attests the enormous influence of Japanese prints, textiles, and decorative arts on the production of art, architecture, and interior decoration during the second half of the 19th century, and into the 20th century. This influence was strongest in France and England, and was first promoted by a few artists and collectors who knew of the East Asian treasures imported by the western European East India Companies. The Anglo-Japanese style originated in works of the American-born artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834– 1903), who had brought a collection of Japanese art from Paris to Britain in 1859, and subsequently incorporated Oriental motifs in his own designs. In addition, the Japanese section at the 1862 world’s fair in London was prepared by Sir Rutherford Alcock (1809–1897), British minister in Edo-period Japan from 1858 to 1864, using objects from his own collection.