This vase, as inscribed on the base, is a copy of a vase representing the battle bewteen the Greeks and the Amazons, found at Cumae in 1855 and reported in the Illustrated London News of February 16, 1856. The fact that a reference is made, on the vase itself, to a popular contemporary periodical demonstrates how quickly ceramic firms were able to respond to public demand and reflect topical subject matter.

Nineteenth century European designers and craftspeople were greatly inspired by other cultures and historical periods. Fuelled by archaeological discoveries the simple lines and patterns of ancient Greek and Roman pottery were admired throughout the nineteenth century.