The Portland Vase

The Portland Vase is a Roman two-handled glass amphora dated between 1 A.D. and 25 A.D. It is dark blue glass decorated with white figures and is the finest surviving Roman example of cameo glass. It was owned by the Duchess of Portland in the 18th century. The vase has been extensively copied, particularly during the Victorian period. The most accurate copies were by Josiah Wedgwood, who, in 1790, copied it in jasperware, a type of pottery, with white classical figures in relief. John Northwood of Stourbridge, England, copied it in glass in 1876. In 1845, while in the British Museum, the original vase was smashed, requiring skillful and painstaking restoration. It is still in the British Museum.

 

Portland Vase, copy, first edition, Wedgwood. Photo: Skinner, Inc.