Classical Roman Vases
CLASSICAL ROMAN STYLE
During Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 A.D., Pompeii and Herculaneum in today’s Italy were preserved as they were on the day of their destruction. Particularly at Herculaneum, furnishings were carbonized beneath volcanic ash. This was pivotal to understanding how Classical Roman furniture was designed. Archaeological investigations and printed reproductions of discoveries would influence styles evoking this ancient civilization, from the Renaissance to neoclassicism.
While knowledge of Classical Roman furniture comes from rare surviving pieces, it is also derived from frescoes and sculptures portraying Roman life. Much of Roman art, architecture and design was informed by Greece — Roman architect, military engineer and writer Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, whose timeless De architectura is taught in contemporary architecture classes and pays tribute to classical architecture, visited Greece while working under Julius Caesar and admired the country’s architectural developments. The Roman solium references the Greek thronos, a stately chair of honor with an upright form and footstool. As the Roman Empire spread across Europe and into North Africa and Western Asia, the expansion of trade for silver, silk, marble and wood allowed for more luxurious designs.
Classical Roman furniture was made from bronze, wood and stone — in particular, marble — with ornate touches like tortoiseshell veneers, bone and glass inlays and claw feet. Ornaments depicting lion heads and mythological figures were sculpted from silver, bronze and ivory. Compared to the decorative attention given to the mosaic floors and wall paintings, however, furniture for even a wealthy house was minimal. It focused on the necessities for guests arriving for both socializing and business and the rooms housing family, relatives and enslaved people.
The triclinium dining room had banquet couches, items so prized they were sometimes interred with the deceased. Tall bronze or terracotta candelabras held oil lamps for lighting. Carved marble tables reflected status, while the lararium home shrine demonstrated faith.
Find a collection of Classical Roman decorative objects, tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
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Style: Classical Roman
Rose Sculpture Vase 13 Roses Hand Carved Italy Pink Onyx Block Limited Edition
Located in Ancona, Marche
"Roma Imperiale" is not just a vase or rather a sculpture, imagine it as a memory, the memory of a nobility now dissolved, a suspended memory, forgotten in a secret garden, of those ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Onyx, Marble
Majestic Pink Onyx Sculpture Vase Subjects Roses Leaves Floral Handmade in Italy
Located in Ancona, Marche
"Le Vie en Rose" is not just a vase or rather a sculpture, imagine it as a memory, the memory of a nobility now dissolved, a suspended memory, forgotten in a secret garden, of those ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Onyx, Marble
1970s Set of Two Cenedese Style Blue and Gray Scavo Murano Glass Vases
By Cenedese
Located in Aci Castello, IT
Two Scavo Murano glass vases hand-crafted in Venice in the Seventies, 18 cm is the height of the other vase, they are in very good condition. Scavo glass is a type of glass that has...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Murano Glass
Murano Scavo Art Glass Seguso Vetri d'Arte Murano, Italy, 1960s
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Murano Pink and Blue Scavo Art Glass Seguso Vetri d'Arte Murano, Italy, 1960s
Murano small vase in pink glass with blue handles, very delicate work w...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Art Glass, Murano Glass, Blown Glass
Iridescent glass vase pulegoso scavo Murano glass. . Cyanide
Located in Lugo, IT
Iridescent glass vase pulegoso scavo Murano glass.
Good condition.
Thank you
Category
1920s Italian Vintage Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Murano Glass
Grand Faux Marble Urn Vessels, Pair
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Dramatic lightweight resin urn shaped vessels featuring a realistic hand-painted honed Carrara marble faux finish. Classically inspired modern shaped vases sit on top of detachable p...
Category
2010s Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Resin
Hand Painted Blue Ceramic Vase by Bottega Vignoli Italy Contemporary Majolica
Located in London, GB
Cassettoni Vase 2024, hand-painted majolica, fired in full fire-reduction
Dimensions: 28 cm diameter x 36 cm height
Unique piece
Bottega Vignoli is a brand of artistic ceramics b...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Ceramic, Majolica, Earthenware
Wedgwood First Edition Portland Vase
Located in New Orleans, LA
This extraordinary First Edition Wedgwood rendering of the legendary Portland Vase is one of the rarest masterpieces of Josiah Wedgwood, the most important ceramics manufacturer of the 18th century. A tour de force of ceramic art, the Portland Vase First Editions are regarded as one of the greatest ceramic accomplishments of the 18th century, and they are a testament to the superior skill of Josiah Wedgwood, his extraordinary ambition and his tireless dedication to perfection. One of the very few First Editions still in private hands, this exceptional Wedgwood Portland Vase is one of the most important works of ceramics on the market.
The story of Wedgwood and the Portland Vase is legendary. The original Portland Vase is the ancient world's most famous decorative arts masterpiece—a cameo glass vase dating to circa 25 CE with a frieze representing the myth of Peleus and Thetis, initially thought to be carved from stone. When it was first rediscovered around 1582, it captivated the world with its opaque white cameo figures over its rich blue background. After the vase was excavated it was owned by Cardinal Barberini, whose family later sold it to the Duke of Hamilton who eventually sold it to the Duchess of Portland, from whom the famed vase now takes its name.
The famed British sculptor John Flaxman was likely the first to have brought the vase to Wedgwood’s attention. In a letter dated February 5, 1784, he wrote: “I wish you may soon come to town to see William Hamilton’s vase, it is the finest production of Art that has been brought to England and seems to be the very apex of perfection to which you are endeavouring to bring your bisque and jasper…” Indeed, the Portland Vase is a masterpiece of cameo-cutting, with a stunning frieze of opaque white cameo glass over its translucent deep blue form. Its beauty and translucence would inspire Wedgwood to undertake his years-long endeavor to precisely replicate the original in porcelain.
Upon closer examination, Wedgwood realized the vase was not made of stone or earthenware, but of cameo glass—a technique so advanced it remains the masterpiece of cameo-cutting. Today, the vase is housed in the British Museum, where it is the second most viewed antiquity, only after the Rosetta Stone. It then took Wedgwood several painstaking years to craft his unparalleled copy of the vase, during which he perfected the jasperware technique that would become his crowning achievement. To this day, the renowned porcelain firm regards the vase as its most momentous triumph, so much so that the vessel’s silhouette is incorporated into the Wedgwood logo.
The four years it took Wedgwood to complete his vase were not without tribulations. From the start, Wedgwood encountered numerous problems with his copies, from cracking and blistering to the difficulty of replicating the translucent effects of the original. The first acceptable copy was produced in October 1789 and sent to Wedgwood’s physician and friend Erasmus Darwin, the grandfather of Charles Darwin. Wedgwood presented another copy to Queen Charlotte in May 1790 and afterward organized a private exhibition of the vase at the Portland House in London. The viewing proved so popular that Wedgwood was forced to restrict the show to 1,900 visitors. Much of London wished to see Wedgwood’s greatest major achievement. Perhaps the highest praise of Wedgwood’s copy came from the famed artist Sir Joshua Reynolds, the founder of the British Royal Academy: “I can venture to declare it a correct and faithful imitation, both in regard to the general effect, and the most minute detail of the part.”
Over the next few years, Wedgwood's oven records listed 43 First Edition copies of the Portland Vase produced between 1791 and 1796, 11 of which were broken during the firing process. In all, it is believed around 30 First Edition vases were completed, though an unknown number of these were somewhat damaged—one of these imperfect examples is currently held by the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. The perfect examples such as ours have found their way into the most important museum collections in the world. The British Museum (London), Art Institute of Chicago, Birmingham Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts (Boston) and the Fitzwilliam Museum (Cambridge, UK), among others, all hold one of these highly coveted vases in their collections.
In terms of technical achievement, the First Edition Portland Vases...
Category
18th Century English Antique Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Porcelain
Large Italian Scavo Corroso Aquamarine Glass Urn Vase
Located in New York, NY
Large Italian Scavo Corroso glass urn vase with 2 handles and gorgeous raised wave design surrounding the middle. Mesmerising to look at!
This piece evo...
Category
20th Century Italian Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Blown Glass
Larva Antiqua
Located in היוגב, IL
I sculpted a raw vase that looks as if it were discovered in some archaeological excavation from the Roman period. I decided to name it “Larva Antiqua,” an ancient spirit that connec...
Category
2010s Israeli Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Ceramic
Two Piece Collection of Ermanno Nason Scavo Glass
Located in New York, NY
Two vases by Nason for Cenedese, Ca 1970's. Both in perfect condition Dimensions in listing are for taller vase, smaller vase as follows. 7"- H x 9"- W x 3.5"-m open at top. Classic...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Art Glass, Glass
Pair of Medici Vases, Hand Painted Porcelain, French, 19th Century
Located in Lantau, HK
A pair of elegant vases finely painted with flowers and butterflies in brilliant colors, richly gilded on handles and base.
Shipping included
Free and fast delivery door to door ...
Category
19th Century French Antique Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Porcelain
Large Murano Scavo Vase Attributed to Seguso, Italy
Located in Albano Laziale, Rome/Lazio
Large and heavy handmade vase in burnt orange and deep blue with the typical "sandy" mixture giving the piece a bit of a rough texture. The technique was developed for giving glass t...
Category
20th Century Italian Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Murano Glass
Swedish Ceramic Vase by Gunnar Nylund, Rörstrand, Sweden, 1950
Located in Bronx, NY
Sweden, 1950s ceramic vase by Gunnar Nylund, for Rörstrand in quartz green excellent condition and signed on the bottom.
Category
Mid-20th Century Swedish Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Ceramic
Neoclassical Romanesque Bronze Female Form Sculptures with Marble Bases
Located in Dallas, TX
Gorgeous pair of antique golden cast bronze roman women on newly fabricated marble bases. They are hollow and the water jugs are open so they can be used to display an arrangement wi...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Marble, Bronze
Hand Painted Ceramic Vase by Bottega Vignoli Italy Contemporary Majolica
Located in London, GB
Palmette Vase 2024, hand-painted majolica, fired in full fire-reduction
Dimensions: 28 cm diameter x 36 cm height
Unique piece
Bottega Vignoli is a brand of artistic ceramics bas...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Ceramic, Earthenware, Majolica
Byzantium Vase Hand Painted Ceramic Italy Contemporary 21st Century Majoilica
Located in London, GB
Byzantium Vase 2024, full-fire reduction faience earthenware (majolica) 28 cm diameter x 36 cm height hand painted unique piece.
Bottega Vignoli is a brand of artistic ceramics ba...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Ceramic, Earthenware, Majolica
Small Antique 1900s Solid Brass Apothecary Mortars and Pestles - Set of 2
Located in Chicago, IL
Set of 2 very cool heavy brass (?) antique mortar and pestles. Actually one may be brass and one copper, judging from the green aging tinge inside. They are not a matched set but ver...
Category
Early 20th Century Unknown Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Brass
Byzantium Vase Hand Painted Ceramic Italy Contemporary 21st Century Majoilica
Located in London, GB
Byzantium Vase 2024, full-fire reduction faience earthenware (majolica) 28 cm diameter x 36 cm height hand painted unique piece.
Bottega Vignoli is a brand of artistic ceramics ba...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Ceramic, Earthenware, Majolica
Pair of 19th Century French Weathered Iron Campana Form Garden Urns
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a backyard or a patio with this elegant pair of classical Roman antique urns. Crafted in France circa 1850, each vase stands on a square base with pedestal over a gadrooned ...
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Iron
Pompei Moon Jar Hand Painted Ceramic Italy Contemporary 21st Century Majoilica
Located in London, GB
Pompei moon jar, 2024, full-fire reduction faience earthenware (majolica) 30 cm diameter, hand painted unique piece.
Bottega Vignoli is a brand of artistic ceramics based in Faenza, one of the most representative ceramic production centres in Italy. Founded in 1976 by sisters Saura and Ivana, Bottega Vignoli stands out for its limited production, accurate details and skilful experimentation resulting in stunning unique and one of a kind pieces. Their style is immediately recognizable and expressly follows the path...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Ceramic, Earthenware, Majolica
Pair of Patinated Bronze Models of the Townley Vase Cast by Delafontaine
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A fine pair of patinated bronze models of the townley vase, cast after the antique, by Auguste-Maximilien Delafontaine.
The bronze stamped to the under...
Category
19th Century French Antique Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Bronze
Maestro Imperio Rossi, Vintage Murano Millefiori Art Glass Vase, 20th Century
Located in New York, NY
Dimensions:
Height 18-3/4 inches
Diameter 8-3/4 inches
Found in the middle section of the vase’ neck, there is a round glass medallion with letter “m”, indented into it for Maestro Imperio Rossi...
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Glass
Pair of Porcelain Vases, Hand Painted French 19th Century, Mark for Sevres
Located in Lantau, HK
Pair of porcelain vases, French, 19th century, mark for Sevres
Hand painted porcelain with very refined floral design. The flower painted in free style reflects the high artistic ach...
Category
19th Century French Antique Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Porcelain
Ceramic Vase Byzantine Hand Painted Majolica Italy Contemporary 21st Century
Located in London, GB
Bottega Vignoli, Byzantium vase, 2022 Full-fire reduction earthenware 17cm x 37cm height. unique piece hand-painted Italian majolica.
Bottega Vignoli is a brand of artistic ceramics...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Ceramic, Majolica
Mid-century vintage white and gold German porcelain classical urn/vase
Located in Allentown, PA
This is a handsome large mid-century vintage white and gold German porcelain urn. This urn features a 22 karat gold glaze to the handles and around the base with a white glaze to the...
Category
1950s German Vintage Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Porcelain
Ceramic Vase by Bottega Vignoli Hand-Painted Italian Majolica Contemporary
Located in London, GB
Roma vase, full-fire reduction faience earthenware (majolica) 40cm height 20cm diameter, unique piece, 2020.
Bottega Vignoli is a brand of artistic ceramics based in Faenza, one of ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Majolica, Ceramic
Alabaster Vase
Located in Miami, FL
Designed by Urban Art Home, offered is an amber-colored alabaster bud vase crafted in Tuscany, Italy.
It measures approximately 8.25" in width, and is 5.125" tall, has an upper rim...
Category
Early 2000s Italian Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Alabaster
Pair of Early 20th Century Bronze Roman-Style Urns
Located in Chicago, IL
A phenomenal pair of early 20th century French cast bronze Roman-style urns with volute handles decorated with goose heads, and a frieze in low-relief depic...
Category
Early 20th Century French Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Porcelain Blue Cachepots by Vieux Paris, 19th Century Classical Motif
Located in Great Barrington, MA
This is an unusual pair of 19th century decorative hand-painted porcelain cachepots with hand-painted classical bust decoration made by Vieux Paris / Old Paris. Molded "Bamboo" faux ...
Category
1870s French Antique Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Porcelain
Large Scavo Vase Attributed to Rigattieri for Seguso
By Vittorio Rigattieri, Scavo Corroso
Located in New York, NY
Scavo, Corroso bottle of Classical Roman form, produced in the 1980s by Seguso. This example is in perfect condition, unsigned.
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Art Glass
Set of Four Mid-19th Century French Weathered Painted Iron Medici Vases
Located in Dallas, TX
This elegant set of four 19th-century Medici vases were crafted in France circa 1860 and reflect the timeless grandeur of classical garden design. Made from cast iron, each vessel fe...
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Iron
Pair of 19th Century French Weathered Iron Campana Form Garden Urns
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a backyard or a patio with this elegant pair of classical Roman antique urns. Crafted in France circa 1850, each vase stands on a square base with pedestal over a gadrooned ...
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Iron
Antique North African Red Slip Ware Vase
Located in Katonah, NY
Antique handmade African red slip ware vase. Circa 300-600 CE (AD), this beautiful handmade piece red slip ware pottery was handmade in North Africa. This pi...
Category
15th Century and Earlier North African Antique Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Clay
Salviati Miniature Glass Tazza
Located in New York, NY
In 19th-century Venice, glassmaking studios were pokey little family affairs. The craft was passed on from father to son, and conducted in a studio, with an assistant or two, and per...
Category
1880s Italian Antique Classical Roman Vases
Materials
Glass
Classical Roman vases for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Classical Roman vases for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage vases created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, folk art and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with ceramic, terracotta and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Classical Roman vases made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and France pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original vases, popular names associated with this style include Europa Antiques, Bottega Vignoli, Ermanno Nason, and Antonio Salviati. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for vases differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $264 and tops out at $31,908 while the average work can sell for $3,111.