Pyrophorus Vase thumbnail 1
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Pyrophorus Vase

ca. 1815 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Object Type
'Pyrophorus vases' were ancestors of the modern match box. Their name derived from the Greek, pur for 'fire' and phoros for 'bringing'. 'Instant light boxes' had been made in metal since 1810, and in 1812 Wedgwood began to manufacture them in a decorative ceramic version. The idea of making them in pottery came from the chemists Accum & Garden of Compton Street, Soho, London, who supplied Wedgwood with the matches, acid and acid bottles. The vases were soon copied at Josiah Spode's factory.

Use
Wooden splints were held in the central hole. One end of the splints had been dipped in chlorate of potash and sugar. When dipped in sulphuric acid these produced a flame. Pyrophorus vases were initially popular, probably because of their novelty, but they were not made after about 1830. Soon after this date the first friction matches of the modern type were introduced. By the mid-19th century the original purpose of these vases had been forgotten, and for more than a century they were thought to have been inkwells.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Cane-coloured stoneware with <i>rosso antico</i> reliefs
Brief description
Pyrophorus vase, cane-coloured stoneware with rosso antico reliefs, Josiah Wedgwood and Sons Ltd., England (Etruria), ca. 1815
Physical description
Pyrophorus vase of cane-coloured stoneware, in the form of an altar decorated in red relief with attributes of Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury.
Dimensions
  • Height: 10.5cm
  • Diameter: 8.4cm
Dimensions checked: Measured; 23/12/1998 by SF
Marks and inscriptions
'WEDGWOOD' and 'D' (Impressed)
Gallery label
Pyrophorous vase made at the factory of Josiah Wedgwood, Etruria, Staffordshire, about 1815 Marks: 'WEDGWOOD' and 'D', impressed Caneware with 'Rosso Antico' reliefs 2380-1901 Jermyn Street Collection Pyrophorous vases contained wooden spills and chemicals that could be combined to create a flame. They were first made in 1812.(23/05/2008)
Credit line
Transferred from the Museum of Practical Geology
Object history
Pyrophorous vases contained wooden spills and chemicals that could be combined to create a flame. They were first made in 1812.
Subjects depicted
Summary
Object Type
'Pyrophorus vases' were ancestors of the modern match box. Their name derived from the Greek, pur for 'fire' and phoros for 'bringing'. 'Instant light boxes' had been made in metal since 1810, and in 1812 Wedgwood began to manufacture them in a decorative ceramic version. The idea of making them in pottery came from the chemists Accum & Garden of Compton Street, Soho, London, who supplied Wedgwood with the matches, acid and acid bottles. The vases were soon copied at Josiah Spode's factory.

Use
Wooden splints were held in the central hole. One end of the splints had been dipped in chlorate of potash and sugar. When dipped in sulphuric acid these produced a flame. Pyrophorus vases were initially popular, probably because of their novelty, but they were not made after about 1830. Soon after this date the first friction matches of the modern type were introduced. By the mid-19th century the original purpose of these vases had been forgotten, and for more than a century they were thought to have been inkwells.
Collection
Accession number
2380-1901

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Record createdMarch 27, 2003
Record URL
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