Items Similar to Wedgwood First Edition Portland Vase

First Edition Portland Vase, Wedgwood, circa 1793

Portland Vase. Barnard Edition (Bert Bentley). Wedgwood C1925

A Wedgwood Portland Jasperware Vase, Circa 1875

Portland Vase, Northwood, Wedgwood, circa 1880

Antique Portland Blue Jasperware Bowl with White Overlay by Wedgwood England

Anniversary Vase, Wedgwood, 1930

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 10

Wedgwood First Edition Portland Vase

Name: Wedgwood First Edition Portland Vase
Brand: Josiah Wedgwood
Price: 266518.81 AUD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5 (8 reviews)

About the Item

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 remain unsurpassed. Our vase—one of the exceptionally rare original blue editions—is easily identified as original by several details: the raised elbow on the base protruding slightly above the rim, its considerable weight due to its use of solid blue jasper (not white jasper dipped in blue), the overall translucency of the white motifs and its incredible smoothness, as Wedgwood had stone lapidaries polish the blue background as they would a gemstone. Furthermore, its grayish-blue color was only used in the 18th century. In 1791, due to a shortage of black clay, a handful were made in blue—one of which was gifted by his son to the British Museum, where it remains today. Vase: 10" high x 7 1/2" diameter On stand: 16" high x 9" diameter Circa 1791 Provenance: Private Collection, New York M.S. Rau, New Orleans

Creator:
Josiah Wedgwood (Maker)
Dimensions:
Height: 16 in (40.64 cm)Width: 8.25 in (20.96 cm)Depth: 9 in (22.86 cm)
Style:
Classical Roman (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Porcelain
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
18th Century
Date of Manufacture:
Circa 1791
Condition:
Seller Location:
New Orleans, LA
Reference Number:
Seller: 31-96221stDibs: LU891141433842

Shop All Josiah Wedgwood

Josiah Wedgwood

Arguably the most celebrated of all English ceramics makers, Wedgwood was founded in 1759 by potter Josiah Wedgwood in Staffordshire, which was home at one time to hundreds of pottery workshops.

Wedgwood is famed for its Jasperware — molded neoclassical stoneware vases, plates and other pieces inspired by ancient cameo glass, featuring white figures, scenes and decorative elements set in relief on a matte-colored background. The best-known background hue is light blue, but Wedgwood’s iconic silhouettes also appear on green, lilac, yellow, black and even white grounds. Some antique Wedgwood dinnerware pieces and other items feature three or more colors. The company is also known for its black stoneware, Black Basalt, which imitates the color and shapes of Etruscan vases.

The Wedgwood firm first came to prominence for its tableware, which quickly gained favor in aristocratic households throughout Britain and Europe. In 1765, Wedgwood was commissioned to create a cream-colored earthenware service for Queen Charlotte, consort of King George III. The queen was so thrilled with her new china that Wedgwood was given permission to call himself “Potter to Her Majesty,” and the decorative style became known as Queen’s Ware.

Not to be outdone, Catherine the Great of Russia commissioned her own set of Wedgwood china in 1773. Nearly 200 years later, the firm created a 1,200-piece service for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. In recent years, leading designers including Jasper Conran and Vera Wang have collaborated with Wedgwood — in the tradition of such distinguished 18th-century artists such as the painter George Stubbs and metalsmith Matthew Boulton.

Materials

Pottery

Tricolor Jasperware Barber Bottles by Wedgwood

$8,850

Antique Late 18th Century English Neoclassical Pottery

Materials

Pottery

First Edition Portland Vase, Wedgwood, circa 1793

$285,000

$50,000

Free Shipping

Antique Portland Blue Jasperware Bowl with White Overlay by Wedgwood England

By Wedgwood

Located in Oklahoma City, OK

A stunning Neoclassical Wedgwood Portland blue bowl with a white overlay. This piece is believed to have been a small sugar bowl, however we think it...

Category

20th Century English Neoclassical Vases

Materials

Ceramic

Antique Portland Blue Jasperware Bowl with White Overlay by Wedgwood England

$200 Sale Price

20% Off

Anniversary Vase, Wedgwood, 1930

By Wedgwood

Located in Melbourne, Victoria

Some fifty of these vases were made in 1930 to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Josiah Wedgwood. The inscription reads: CC post natum conditorem anno viget ars Etruriae red...

Category