Copy of the Portland Vase

Founded in 1759, Josiah Wedgwood and Sons was the first industrialized porcelain manufacturer in Staffordshire. In addition to technical improvements making possible the large-scale production of its wares, Wedgwood was famous for jasperware and for designs based on ancient models. A major success was its reproduction of the Portland Vase, an ancient Roman vessel of carved cameo glass, dated to the first century b.c. Now in the British Museum, the vase was discovered in Rome and belonged to the third Duke of Portland in 1786, when Wedgwood began experimenting with copies in jasperware. The first edition of copies, with black backgrounds, was produced in 1790; following editions often had Wedgwood-blue backgrounds. Several editions created between 1870 and 1885 had black backgrounds, including the present example. The subject of the relief scenes has been interpreted as both historical and mythological, and classicists continue to discuss its possible meanings.