Canopic jar
Ornament
1790 (made)
1790 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Wedgwood was an early pioneer in the production of 'Egyptianised' wares. This canopic vase in black basalt has been painted with special encaustic enamels. In ancient Egypt a canopic lidded vase was intended to hold the internal organs, or viscera, of the deceased. Here the Etruria factory has produced an interpretation of the canopic vase without the lid, although the shape itself has been faithfully reproduced. Wedgwood drew on a number of archaeological publications for both the design and decoration of his ornamental basalt wares, and a list of 'Books belonging to W & B the 10th August 1770' includes a mention of Bernard de Montfaucon’s 'L’Antiquité Expliquée'.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Canopic jar (popular title) |
| Materials and techniques | Enamel and slip paint on a stoneware body |
| Brief description | Ornament in the shape of an Egyptian canopic jar, black basalt with encaustic painting, factory of Josiah Wedgwood, Staffordshire, 1790 |
| Physical description | Black ceramic ornament with painted red Egyptian-style decorations, in the shape of an Egyptian canopic jar with a moulded Pharaoh's head at the top and pseudo-hieroglyphic painting on the bulbous body and striped red border on the rim of the flared base. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | V&A Wedgwood Collection. Presented by Art Fund with major support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, private donations and public appeal. |
| Object history | This ornament was inspired by a 'canopic jar', a funerary vessel to hold the internal organs, or viscera, of the deceased, illustrated in the second volume of Bernard the Montfaucon's 'L'Antiquité Expliquée', 1719. However, as the purpose of the illustrated vessel was not understood, Wedgwood manufactured the jar in one piece, thus reducing it to an ornament. The piece formerly belonged to Wedgwood's friend, the physician and poet Erasmus Darwin. |
| Associations | |
| Summary | Wedgwood was an early pioneer in the production of 'Egyptianised' wares. This canopic vase in black basalt has been painted with special encaustic enamels. In ancient Egypt a canopic lidded vase was intended to hold the internal organs, or viscera, of the deceased. Here the Etruria factory has produced an interpretation of the canopic vase without the lid, although the shape itself has been faithfully reproduced. Wedgwood drew on a number of archaeological publications for both the design and decoration of his ornamental basalt wares, and a list of 'Books belonging to W & B the 10th August 1770' includes a mention of Bernard de Montfaucon’s 'L’Antiquité Expliquée'. |
| Other number | 4900 - Wedgwood Museum Accession Number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | WE.7807-2014 |
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| Record created | October 1, 2021 |
| Record URL |
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