Vase thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
British Galleries, Room 118; The Wolfson Gallery

Vase

1786-1795 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Object Type
Vases of this type are described as 'Ruined Vases' in the Wedgwood documents. They might have been used for holding wooden spills (splints of wood for lighting candles) or flowers. Alternatively, they may have been purely decorative and displayed on chimney-pieces or furniture in domestic interiors.

Materials & Making
Jasper is a very fine-grained white stoneware that could be stained in a range of colours. Josiah Wedgwood developed this material in the early 1770s in response to the rise in popularity of Neo-classical styles of interior decoration. Antique reliefs set against coloured backgrounds played an important part in Neo-classical interiors.In the development of Jaspar Wedgwood made thousands of meticulously documented experiments. The ware became his greatest invention and is what he is most widely remembered for today. This vase is made of white Jasper and stained with cobalt blue, which was painted on with a brush. The best cobalt blue was imported from Saxony, Germany.

Trading
'Ruined Vases' were sold for 15 shillings from Wedgwood's Staffordshire factory site in 1787.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
White Jasper with blue wash
Brief description
Ruin vase
Dimensions
  • Height: 19.68cm
  • Width: 11.43cm
Gallery label
  • British Galleries: RUIN VASES
    Many of Wedgwood's ornamental productions were intended to be appreciated as small-scale works of art. Most of his vases have clean outlines taken from prints or Roman antiquities, and must have looked emphatically modern to their original owners. However, with these vases Wedgwood presents a more time-worn version of antiquity.(27/03/2003)
  • Vase in the form of a ruined column Made at the factory of Josiah Wedgwood, Etruria, Staffordshire, about 1786-95 Marks: 'WEDGWOOD' and two lozenges Jasperware 1519-1855 The contemporary cost of vases of this type is recorded in a document of 1786 as "Ruin'd Vase 15/-, Single Column 31/-, Double Column 42/-, Triple 63/-"(23/05/2008)
Object history
Made at Josiah Wedgwood's factory, Etruria, Staffordshire. The contemporary cost of vases of this type is recorded in a document of 1786 as "Ruin'd Vase 15/-, Single Column 31/-, Double Column 42/-, Triple 63/-".
Summary
Object Type
Vases of this type are described as 'Ruined Vases' in the Wedgwood documents. They might have been used for holding wooden spills (splints of wood for lighting candles) or flowers. Alternatively, they may have been purely decorative and displayed on chimney-pieces or furniture in domestic interiors.

Materials & Making
Jasper is a very fine-grained white stoneware that could be stained in a range of colours. Josiah Wedgwood developed this material in the early 1770s in response to the rise in popularity of Neo-classical styles of interior decoration. Antique reliefs set against coloured backgrounds played an important part in Neo-classical interiors.In the development of Jaspar Wedgwood made thousands of meticulously documented experiments. The ware became his greatest invention and is what he is most widely remembered for today. This vase is made of white Jasper and stained with cobalt blue, which was painted on with a brush. The best cobalt blue was imported from Saxony, Germany.

Trading
'Ruined Vases' were sold for 15 shillings from Wedgwood's Staffordshire factory site in 1787.
Collection
Accession number
1519-1855

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Record createdMarch 27, 2003
Record URL
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