Vase with cover
1769–80
Medium
Porphyry ware
Dimensions
Height: 7 5/8 in. (19.4 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Pottery
Culture
British, Etruria, Staffordshire
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1909
Accession Number
09.194.30a, b
Art Historical Context
This elegant "Vase with Cover" from Wedgwood and Bentley crafted between 1769 and 1780, exemplifies the pinnacle of 18th-century British ceramics. Produced at Josiah Wedgwood's Etruria factory in Staffordshire,, it belongs to the firm's celebrated Porphyry ware—a luxurious stoneware that mimicked the prized ancient stone porphyry, known for its rich purple hue and sparkling flecks. Using finely ground red and white clays, Wedgwood achieved a marbled, gem-like surface through pioneering techniques like pressure-molding and slow bisque firing, revolutionizing mass-produced luxury goods. Histori...