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Open Content Program

The Birmingham Museum of art makes available digital images of works in the Museum’s collection believed to be in the public domain. Images are available free of charge for any use, commercial or non-commercial. Users do not need to contact the Museum for authorization to use these images. They are available through the Online Collection at artsbma.org/collection. See detailed instructions for specific work types below.

Identifying Open Content Images

The mission of the Birmingham Museum of Art is to spark the creativity, imagination, and liveliness of Birmingham by connecting all its citizens to the experience, meaning, and joy of art. The Museum understands that by sharing images of works online without restrictions, the BMA collection becomes more accessible to a larger audience.

For objects with images the rights status is displayed in the “credit line” section of the object information. The rights status or rights holder will be indicated. If the work is in the public domain and/or the image may be downloaded, the download icon will appear in the bottom right corner of the image area. To search the collection click here.

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The Birmingham Museum of Art
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Disclaimer

  • If an image is not available under Open Content it may be because the work is still under copyright, the work is not owned by the museum, or the work has not yet been photographed to BMA standards.
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Franz I, Emperor of Austria (1768-1835); 1804 Emperor; 1792-1806 as Franz II, Holy Roman Emperor)

Possibly Royal Prussian Iron Foundry, Gleiwitz

About 1800

See More of the Collection

Cast-iron pocket watch holder in the form of a single sunflower with thick, leafy stem in a small, simple pot, resting on an under dish that is decorated with scrolls and stylized organic motifs, the face of the flower is open and sports a holder for a pocket watch attached to the back.
Tall, footed, bulbous vase of solid white jasper with dark blue jasper dip and applied white and green jasper relief decoration, with a band of ribbon and reed around the edge of the foot, the lower body with stylized acanthus leaves, the main body engine-turned to create blue and white vertical stripes with horizontally applied, molded green straps that together create a basket weave appearance, a band of white bellflowers runs horizontally around the neck, the lip with the same ribbon and reed pattern.
Large rectangular tablet of solid white jasper with dark chocolate brown jasper dip and white jasper relief decoration depicting Orestes and Pylades at the Temple of Diana, with the priestess Iphigenia, including a simple pillared temple in the center containing a shrine with the figure of Diana on a pedestal and a small altar, on the right of the temple the priestess Iphigenia stands in front of the shrine, turning back to Orestes and Pylades who stand bound and guarded by a figure wearing a Phrygian cap, on the left Iphigenia gives a letter to Orestes and Pylades, who are now freed, while a figure holding a shield aloft stands behind her.
Teapot of white jasper with black jasper dip and applied white jasper relief decoration, of cylindrical shape with straight spout highlighted with white jasper motifs and white jasper loop handle, the lower body decorated with a band of floral motifs below a white line, the main body with heavy swags full of fruits and vegetables and flowers strung from ram's heads with ribbons, above the swags are trophies and small vignettes enclosed in beaded borders, below the shoulder a band of leafy elements, the cover with acanthus and lotus motifs and flat finial.