Pair Antique Wedgwood Black Basalt Vases England Late 18th Century Circa 1775
Pair Antique Wedgwood Black Basalt Vases England Late 18th Century Circa 1775 - Image 2
Pair Antique Wedgwood Black Basalt Vases England Late 18th Century Circa 1775 - Image 3
Pair Antique Wedgwood Black Basalt Vases England Late 18th Century Circa 1775 - Image 4
Pair Antique Wedgwood Black Basalt Vases England Late 18th Century Circa 1775 - Image 5
Pair Antique Wedgwood Black Basalt Vases England Late 18th Century Circa 1775 - Image 6
Pair Antique Wedgwood Black Basalt Vases England Late 18th Century Circa 1775 - Image 7
Pair Antique Wedgwood Black Basalt Vases England Late 18th Century Circa 1775 - Image 8
Pair Antique Wedgwood Black Basalt Vases England Late 18th Century Circa 1775 - Image 9
Pair Antique Wedgwood Black Basalt Vases England Late 18th Century Circa 1775 - Image 10
Pair Antique Wedgwood Black Basalt Vases England Late 18th Century Circa 1775 - Image 11

Pair Antique Wedgwood Black Basalt Vases England Late 18th Century Circa 1775

$5,800.00

This exceptional pair of antique black basalt vases was made by Wedgwood & Bentley in the late 18th century, circa 1775.
The vases are sculpted in deep solid relief with bacchanalian boys in lively motion, a classical motif symbolizing liberation from societal order and the tension between chaos and control.
The vases have a cylindrical form rising from a square-footed base. They echo neoclassical architecture with elegant scroll handles, a grooved finial, and vertical fluting around the shoulder.
The sculptural modeling is a hallmark of Wedgwood & Bentley’s finest black basalt work.
Marks: Each vase is marked “WEDGWOOD & BENTLEY ETRURIA,” used between 1769 and 1780.
Dimensions: 11.5″ tall x 5.25″ across the handles x 3.25″ square base
Condition: Excellent
Price: $6,000
The factory at Etruria in Staffordshire began producing black basalt in 1769, quickly becoming the leading name in neoclassical ornamental ceramics admired by aristocratic patrons.
Key Features:
• Pair of antique black basalt vases by Wedgwood & Bentley
• Made circa 1775 during the peak of neoclassical fashion
• Deep relief frieze of bacchanalian boys
• Scroll handles and fluted architectural elements
• Marked “WEDGWOOD & BENTLEY ETRURIA” (1769–1780)
• Superb example of 18th-century English neoclassical design

In stock

Background of Wedgwood Black Basalt

Wedgwood Black Basalt is a fine-grained stoneware made from clay, manganese, and carr, a slurry of iron oxide.
Josiah Wedgwood developed the material in the 1760s, inspired by Egyptian Black pottery and the natural stone known as Egyptian basalt.

Background of Wedgwood & Bentley

The Wedgwood company began in 1759.
In 1762, Wedgwood met Thomas Bentley, a Liverpool merchant who was knowledgeable about Renaissance and classical art.
The two became friends and formed a partnership in 1767, naming their company Wedgwood & Bentley.
Two years later, in 1769, black basalt was first produced by Wedgwood & Bentley at their factory, “Etruria,” in Staffordshire, England.
In the 1770s, their excellent black basalt products became hugely popular with the English aristocracy as the ultimate ornamental expression of neo-classicism.

 

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