Made over 100 years ago by Royal Doulton, this green and black ceramic vase with black birds and berries was on display at the 1893 Columbian Exposition. Royal Doulton had an exhibit in the Liberal Arts Building showcasing the company’s various ornate ceramics. Founded by John Doulton in 1815, Royal Doulton was a London pottery company and leader in decorative wares by utilizing new materials, glazing techniques, and fostering artist collaborations which were all on display at the exposition. The Royal Doulton exhibit was filled with beautiful pieces from Royal Doulton’s Lambeth and Burslem studios and won many awards.

After the exposition ended, women of the Northwestern University Guild purchased vases from foreign exhibitors who would rather sell than ship products home. The vase along with other Royal Doulton ceramics were purchased by the guild and installed in the Hunt Library at Northwestern. In 1940, when the guild’s collection was installed in the new Scott Hall, the vase along with eighteen others were given to the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry.