vase: ["Portland Vase"]

A late eighteenth century first edition black Jasperware Portland vase made in c. 1790. Number 29 marked on inner lip in pencil., A late eighteenth century Wedgwood Portland Vase, First Edition made in c.1790. Black Jasper with white reliefs on sides and base. With this vase Josiah Wedgwood achieved the highest craftsmanship in Jasperware. Only thirty of forty copies were made in the first edition and this is copy number twenty nine. The number is written in manganese pencil, just inside the lip. It is an exact copy of an antique cameo-glass vase. The original, probably made c. 25 BC in Rome, is known as the Barberini or Portland vase. In 1786 the Duke of Portland, who then owned it, lent it to Josiah Wedgwood to copy it. The reliefs on the vase are by Henry Webber and others. In order to preserve the character of cameo-glass, great care was taken to make the reliefs as fine as possible. To give the effect of the translucency of the glass original, elements of the reliefs on Wedgwood's Portland vase have been tinted by hand. An example of this can be seen in some of the drapes, the blocks of stone and Cupid's wings. The identification of the figures is difficult and disputed. For a detailed description see ‘Masterpieces of Wedgwood’ by Aileen Dawson. One popular interpretation suggests that the reliefs on one side of the vase show the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, the parents of the Greek hero, Achilles. Peleus is shown coming from a temple clasping the arm of Thetis over whom flies Eros, the god of love. Thetis, a sea nymph is shown with a strange sea creature. The standing figure looking towards them, may be Nereus, Thetis’s father or Oceanus. On the other side the young seated male may be Hermes or Apollo looking at a reclining Juno, goddess of marriage, holding the wedding torch. The female figure sitting upright and holding a spear is Minerva, goddess of war and wisdom. The bottom of the Antique vase is understood to have been broken and a disc added, cut from a larger piece of cameo glass, perhaps a plaque dating from the first century AD. The figure shown on this disc is usually identified as Paris, prince of Troy. The subject of Paris is associated with the suggested main subject of the vase, but this is probably a coincidence. Unmarked. Wedgwood. Provenance: 1790-1830 owned by a Wedgwood descendant. According to letter from William Chaffers to Felix Joseph July 1888 and attached notes it belonged to Josiah Wedgwood Junior, son of Josiah Wedgwood I. c.1830 Sold at the original subscription price to Mr Purnell Bransby Purnell of Stancombe Park, nr Gloucester. May 1872 Sotheby’s Wilkinson and Hodge sale of the property of the late Mr Purnell, lot 680. Sold to Sir William Tite for 170 guineas. June 1888 Christie’s sale of the property of the late Sir William Tite. Sold to Asher Wertheimer (Dealer in Works of art and husband of Joseph’s sister Flora. Possibly purchased on Joseph’s behalf. July 26 1888 bought by Felix Joseph and loaned to Nottingham Corporation. 1892 Felix Joseph bequest., 1830: Purchased by Mr B. Purnell of Gloucestershire from a descendent of the Wedgwood family 1872: Purchased by Sir William Tite 1888: purchased from the sale of Sir William Tite's effects at Christie's by Felix Joseph 1892: bequeathed to Nottingham Castle Museum by Felix Joseph