This important wine bottle holder was inspired by the British Museum's famous Roman Vase of blue glass, intricatly carved with figurative bas-reliefs in white 'cameo', known since the early 19th century as the Portland Vase. The original which dates from the reign of the Emperor Augustus (27BC-AD12) was discovered in 1582 in a burial chamber associated with Emperor Alexander Severus. Since its arrival in London in 1784 it has been one of England's most renowned antiquities and interest in it increased considerably during the early 19th century, when it was lent to the British Museum by the 3rd Duke iof Portland in 1810 and featured at length in the antiquarian Henry Moses's, Collection of Antique Vases...etc from Various Museums and Collections, 1814. He identified the subjects as relating to the marriage of Thetis and Peleus and the Eleusinian Mysteries, and the head on its base, wearing a Phrygian Cap, as being emblematic of 'Silence' guarding the Eleusinian lore. It had already been celebrated for two centuries as the 'Barberini Vase', but was renamed after being acquired by Margaret, Duchess of Portland (d.1785), in the year before her death, and featured in the engraved fronticepiece to Mr. Skinner & Co's sale catalogue of her 'Portland Museum' in 1786. Having been secured by her son , it was lent shortly afterwards to Josiah Wedgewood of the Etruria Works, Birmingham, who manufactured a limited series of copies in his encaustic-ware technique, applied to a 'Barberini' black basalt ground. Wedgewoods attention had first been drawn to its importance by the sculptor John Flaxman R.A. and Sir William Chambers (d.1792) had recommended Henry Webber (d.1826) as being the most talented modeller to take moulds from it. The connoisseur Thomas Hope (1769-1831) displayed one of these vases at his Duchess Street mansion museum. Hope, an important patron of Flaxman, not only sponsored Moses' publication, but was also closely involved in encouraging London goldsmiths to imitate the 'antique' and may have played a role in the manufacture of the silver-gilt versions. The earliest documented example is dated 1820, the year that George IV succeeded to the throne and commissioned vast quanties of coronation plate from Messers Rundell, Bridge and Rundell. At that time the firm was maufacturing reduced silver-gilt versions of the great Warwick Vase to serve as ice-pails, some of which were commissioned by Gerge IV. Paul Storr (1771-1844) perhaps the greatest of Regency silversmith and possibly the modeller Thomas Stothard R.A. (1775-1832) had been involved in the taking of models of the Warwick Vase for Rundells in 1813 and it is possible that they were also involved in the manufacture of this silver-gilt version of the Portland Vase