Lot Essay
The Medici Vase, which depicts the sacrifice of Iphigenia, was first listed in an inventory of the Villa Medici in Rome in 1598. It was moved to Florence in 1780 and was on display in the Uffizi until 1800 when it was taken to Palermo so that it would avoid the fate of the Borghese Vase. Although apparently never displayed together, the vases were subsequently paired by grand tour artists. They were considered to be the greatest vases from antiquity and were both referred to as being by the hand of the Attic master, Phidias.