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29.06.2021

Pegasus Vase

The Pegasus Vase is a remarkable piece of art with intricate details. Its body is crafted from pale blue jasper, while the relief decorations, handles, and the figure of Pegasus are made from white jasper. Jasper is a type of unglazed stoneware that can be painted before firing. Josiah Wedgwood I (1730-95) had perfected this technique by 1775 after a series of experiments aimed at creating a new clay body for gemstone-like creations.

Josiah Wedgwood created several samples of the Pegasus vase using jasper clay and black basalt. The specific specimen in question can confidently be dated to the 18th century. The vase is a masterpiece of pottery, featuring sharp relief decorations on a smooth surface. Wedgwood took great pride in presenting this vase to the British Museum in 1786.

The decorative elements of the vase were designed by the artist John Flaxman, Jr (1755-1826). Flaxman drew inspiration from various classical sources; the figures in the main scene are based on an engraving found on a Greek vase from the fourth century B.C., while the Medusa heads located at the base of the handles were adapted from an engraving depicting an ancient sandal.

The Pegasus Vase reflects the neoclassical characteristics of Wedgwood's artistic style. In 1762, Josiah Wedgwood partnered with businessman Thomas Bentley to establish the Etruria factory. Bentley had a deep interest in the art of the classical Greek and Roman world, which had gained popularity in England following the discovery of Greek vases in Etruscan tombs and recent excavations at Herculaneum and Pompeii. Wedgwood, with his technical and design expertise, was the ideal artist to lead the creation of a new line of porcelain inspired by these classical models.

One of Wedgwood's signature lines was "jasper ware," a type of porcelain made from high-fired clay, painted with cobalt oxide to achieve the delicate blue color seen in the vase. The figurines were crafted from translucent white porcelain and applied to the surface of the blue clay before firing. This meticulous process resulted in the exquisite and finely detailed Pegasus Vase that continues to be admired for its neoclassical beauty.

Pegasus Vase

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