《Wedgwood Jasper》Portland Vase & history《Warewish》

Wedgwood Jasper 
Portland Vase history / origin

《Warewish》

Portland Vase A (by Jastrow 2007; Wikipedia)

History of Portland bottle: The Portland Vase has a long and illustrious history, making it a highly significant cultural treasure. Historians estimate that it was created around the period of BC-AD 14 during the Roman Empire. Crafted by a group of skilled artisans during the time of Alexander the Great, the Portland Vase is a glass vessel adorned with intricate reliefs, manufactured using the most advanced techniques of that era. This vase is still preserved today in the British Museum.

Portland Vase(波特蘭瓶)的出現歷史久遠，是一個非常重要的人文珍寶。根據史學家估計，大約是於BC-AD 14在羅馬帝國時代製成的。經由亞歷山大大帝時代一群訓練有素的工匠們，以當時最先進的技術，製成一只有浮雕的玻璃水瓶Portland Vase。此壺現今仍保存於英國大英博物館(British Museum)。

Portland Vase B (by Jastrow 2007; Wikipedia)

The official documentation of the Portland Vase dates back to the year 1600 when a French antiquarian compiled its discovery into a book. Since its excavation, the Portland Vase has been passed through the hands of numerous nobles, antiquarians, and collectors. Initially, it was in the possession of the family of Pope Urban VIII for over a hundred years before being acquired by the Duke of Portland 3rd at an auction in 1785.

關於Portland Vase正式的記載，是由一位法國籍的古物收藏家於1600年將Portland Vase的發現編纂入書。從Portland Vase出土開始，輾轉被許多貴族、古物學家等競相收藏，從最剛開始被Pope Urban Ⅷ家族收藏達一百多年，最後被Duke of Portland 3rd 於1785年在拍賣會上購得。

Portland Vase C (by Jastrow 2007; Wikipedia)

The 3rd Duke of Portland generously loaned this antique to Josiah Wedgwood for the purpose of replicating the Portland Vase. To replicate this antique, Josiah Wedgwood assembled a special team, which included his son Josiah II, among others.

Duke of Portland 3rd特別將這只古董出借給Josiah Wedgwood作為複製Portland Vase之用。為了複製這只古董，Josiah Wedgwood特別組成一個小組，成員還包含了他的兒子Josiah Ⅱ。

Wedgwood Portland Vase white

Josiah Wedgwood decided to use Jasper material to make the Portland Vase. The first challenge he encountered was shaping the body of the vase because he felt that the shapes produced were not elegant enough. Therefore, achieving a smooth and graceful shape was the initial challenge. Next, in order to replicate the distinctive blue-black color of the Portland Vase, a series of experiments were conducted.

Josiah Wedgwood決定要用Jasper的材質來製作Portland Vase，第一個遇到的困難便是瓶身的塑型，因為他總覺得做出來的形狀不夠優雅，因此如何做出圓滑優雅的形狀，是第一個挑戰；接下來，為了要做出符合Portland Vase的藍黑色澤，開始了一連串的實驗。

Wedgwood Portland Vase black

After numerous failures, Josiah Wedgwood finally produced the first flawless Wedgwood Portland Vase in 1789. The achievement was so significant that even a poet included this piece in his epic poem. Starting in May 1790, orders were accepted for custom-made Wedgwood Portland Vases, and members of the upper echelons of society, including Queen Charlotte, proudly owned one.

在歷經了許多次的失敗，終於在1789年做出了第一支完美無暇的Wedgwood Portland Vase，當年甚至有詩人將這件作品納入他的長詩中，於1790年五月開始接受預約定製，舉凡Queen Charlotte(夏綠蒂皇后)等上流社會貴族，都以擁有一支Wedgwood Portland Vase為傲。

Wedgwood Portland Vase Gold 1

Creating a perfect Portland Vase was a time-consuming and challenging process, especially considering the rarity and preciousness of the black-blue color of the clay. Therefore, Wedgwood also crafted Portland Vases using "fine blue" clay. In 1802, on behalf of Wedgwood, Josiah II presented a fine blue Portland Vase to the British Museum, where it remains on display to this day.

製作一只完美的Portland Vase是非常耗時且困難的，加上黑藍色澤的陶土較為稀少珍貴，因此Wedgwood也以 fine blue來製作Portland Vase。在1802年，Josiah Ⅱ代表Wedgwood獻了一支fine blue色澤的Portland Vase給大英博物館(British Museum)，至今仍展示在館內。

Wedgwood Portland Vase Gold 2

 

This golden Portland Vase is a limited edition of 20 globally. Its elegant black body complements the dazzling gold relief, making it an exquisite classic collectible for discerning connoisseurs.

此只金色波特蘭瓶為全球限量20件，黑色優雅瓶身搭配純金耀眼浮雕，為品味絕佳的經典收藏品。

Wedgwood Portland Vase blue

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