Vase with cover

Vase with cover by Wedgwood and Bentley

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...

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