拍品專文
The pieces of what was to become known as the Warwick Vase were found in 1771 by the Scottish painter Gavin Hamilton (d.1797) at Pantanello, near Rome. The vase was bought and restored by Sir William Hamilton (d.1803), the British Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at the Court of Naples. Having failed to persuade the British Museum to buy it, he sold it to his nephew, George Greville, Earl of Warwick. The Warwick Vase, which is now one of the most widely recognised objects associated with the Grand Tour, was first popularised by the three engravings of it included by Giovanni Battista Piranesi (d.1778) in his Vasi, Candelabri, Cipi....(1778).
Until 1813, the Earl of Warwick refused to allow copies to be made, but in that year he permitted Rundell, Bridge and Rundell to estimate for making a life-size version in silver for Lord Lonsdale; this was never executed. However, the existence of Piranesi's detailed engravings had already led to the manufacture of reductions. As early as 1807, Thomas Hope published a Warwick Vase in an interior view of his Duchess Street mansion/museum in his 'Household Furniture and Interior Decoration ', pl. IX. Rundelll, Bridge & Rundell (active in this partnership circa 1805-34) are recorded as makers of gilt-bronze objects as well as being famous for a fine array of silver. They were producing Warwick Vases by 1812, when they produced a set of silver-gilt ice pails of this form for the Prince of Wales. Paul Storr, one of the most important makers for Rundells's, is known to have owned Piranesi's engravings and, as it is established that the firm worked in gilt-bronze, it is possible that they were responsible for this vase. Another relatively early reduction is the bronze vase acquired by the writer and antiquary Sir Walter Scott which remains at Abbotsford, his home in the Scottish Borders. As with this vase, all the decorative elements are separately cast, chased and applied; this is not the case on later vases which were made in one solid piece.
A closely related example was illustrated in H. Blairman & Sons Ltd., Catalogue, 1995, no. 9. The original Warwick Vase is now in the Burrell Collection, Glasgow.
Until 1813, the Earl of Warwick refused to allow copies to be made, but in that year he permitted Rundell, Bridge and Rundell to estimate for making a life-size version in silver for Lord Lonsdale; this was never executed. However, the existence of Piranesi's detailed engravings had already led to the manufacture of reductions. As early as 1807, Thomas Hope published a Warwick Vase in an interior view of his Duchess Street mansion/museum in his 'Household Furniture and Interior Decoration ', pl. IX. Rundelll, Bridge & Rundell (active in this partnership circa 1805-34) are recorded as makers of gilt-bronze objects as well as being famous for a fine array of silver. They were producing Warwick Vases by 1812, when they produced a set of silver-gilt ice pails of this form for the Prince of Wales. Paul Storr, one of the most important makers for Rundells's, is known to have owned Piranesi's engravings and, as it is established that the firm worked in gilt-bronze, it is possible that they were responsible for this vase. Another relatively early reduction is the bronze vase acquired by the writer and antiquary Sir Walter Scott which remains at Abbotsford, his home in the Scottish Borders. As with this vase, all the decorative elements are separately cast, chased and applied; this is not the case on later vases which were made in one solid piece.
A closely related example was illustrated in H. Blairman & Sons Ltd., Catalogue, 1995, no. 9. The original Warwick Vase is now in the Burrell Collection, Glasgow.