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Lot Essay
Of elegant, antique-inspired form and an exceptionally rare, large scale, this pair of Swedish porphyry vases is a fine manifestation of the magnificent objects produced from stone mined in the quarries at Älfdalen from the mid-18th century, and of the enduring fascination for this celebrated material. A princely material, porphyry has been prized from Antiquity for its rarity, rich colour and durability, and objects created with it reached new levels of sophistication in the 19th century in Sweden.
First quarried by the Ancient Romans in the eastern Egyptian desert, porphyry – a rich purple-coloured stone with white glints – was used to create luxurious objects and works of art of varied form and size including vases, busts, and vessels. On account of their rarity and, especially their royal colour, these quickly became associated with the aristocracy and, later, the Emperors of Rome. The Egypitan mines were closed in the 5th century, but interest in porphyry endured through the centuries with the Popes of the Middle Ages, the Medici family of Renaissance Florence, Cardinals Richelieu and Mazarin of 17th century Paris and Emperor Napoleon among others, hastening to acquire objects made of this stone as a testament to their tremendous power, connection to the Antique and considerable sophistication (Sundblom, Tunander, Uggla, op. cit., p. 125). And, as there was a finite quantity of stone available for use, Ancient Roman objects were often reworked over the centuries into entirely new objects or – in the case of busts or damaged figures – restored and enriched by celebrated sculptors of successive generations.
In the 1730s, deposits of porphyry were discovered in the Dalarna region of central Sweden, which were quickly exploited on account of an enduring fascination for the renowned material. The primary quarries were those in Älfdalen, and the stone mined there was known for its purple-brown hues with white highlights, and its richly sheened surface, once polished, qualities which can be observed in the present pair of vases. The first object created from the Swedish quarries was an urn presented to King Gustave III (1746-1792). Over the successive decades, the objects created in porphyry in Sweden grew in number and scale.
In the early 19th century, King Charles XIV Jean of Sweden (1763-1844) acquired a stonecutting workshop, which he transformed into a national manufactory, capable of producing large-scale objects destined to adorn the royal residences and to serve as diplomatic gifts from the Court. Porphyry became, in turn, the national stone of Sweden and objects created with it represented an apex of the Scandinavian kingdom’s production in the decorative arts (Sundblom, Tunander, Uggla, op. cit., p. 126). Porphyry objects produced by the Swedish workshops were characterised – like those created with re-worked Ancient Roman stone – by a distinct antique influence and elegant curved silhouettes. Often, these objects were enriched with fine ormolu mounts, further highlighting their importance. Perhaps the most significant object created is a monumental urn weighing nine tons and with a diameter of nearly three meters installed in 1825 at Rosendal, Charles XIV Jean’s palace in Djurgården in Stockholm.
The present vases resemble amphoras, vessels first produced in Mycenean pottery (14th century BC), which were used for storage and the transportation of food and drink. The two-part curved form was reprised by the Ancient Greeks and Romans, and has since become inexorably associated with Antiquity. As such, it was reprised by artists in the neo-classical period with great frequency, in pictures, sculptures and, as here demonstrated, works of decorative art of the highest order.
The present vase can be most closely compared to another dated to 1830 or later, of similar form and slightly smaller size (99 cm.) in the Swedish Royal Collection (HGK G V :st 11, illustrated in Sundblom, Tunander, Uggla, op. cit., p. 71, fig. 40). Another, similar vase with ormolu mounts and dated to 1800 is at Stockholm Castle (Sundblom, Tunander, Uggla, op. cit., p. 53). Owing to its rare, large scale, it is possible that the present pair of vases was initially created as a diplomatic gift to be offered by the Swedish Royal Court to an important visitor, before being acquired for the grand residence of a Sicilian family, by whom they were sold in 2002.
First quarried by the Ancient Romans in the eastern Egyptian desert, porphyry – a rich purple-coloured stone with white glints – was used to create luxurious objects and works of art of varied form and size including vases, busts, and vessels. On account of their rarity and, especially their royal colour, these quickly became associated with the aristocracy and, later, the Emperors of Rome. The Egypitan mines were closed in the 5th century, but interest in porphyry endured through the centuries with the Popes of the Middle Ages, the Medici family of Renaissance Florence, Cardinals Richelieu and Mazarin of 17th century Paris and Emperor Napoleon among others, hastening to acquire objects made of this stone as a testament to their tremendous power, connection to the Antique and considerable sophistication (Sundblom, Tunander, Uggla, op. cit., p. 125). And, as there was a finite quantity of stone available for use, Ancient Roman objects were often reworked over the centuries into entirely new objects or – in the case of busts or damaged figures – restored and enriched by celebrated sculptors of successive generations.
In the 1730s, deposits of porphyry were discovered in the Dalarna region of central Sweden, which were quickly exploited on account of an enduring fascination for the renowned material. The primary quarries were those in Älfdalen, and the stone mined there was known for its purple-brown hues with white highlights, and its richly sheened surface, once polished, qualities which can be observed in the present pair of vases. The first object created from the Swedish quarries was an urn presented to King Gustave III (1746-1792). Over the successive decades, the objects created in porphyry in Sweden grew in number and scale.
In the early 19th century, King Charles XIV Jean of Sweden (1763-1844) acquired a stonecutting workshop, which he transformed into a national manufactory, capable of producing large-scale objects destined to adorn the royal residences and to serve as diplomatic gifts from the Court. Porphyry became, in turn, the national stone of Sweden and objects created with it represented an apex of the Scandinavian kingdom’s production in the decorative arts (Sundblom, Tunander, Uggla, op. cit., p. 126). Porphyry objects produced by the Swedish workshops were characterised – like those created with re-worked Ancient Roman stone – by a distinct antique influence and elegant curved silhouettes. Often, these objects were enriched with fine ormolu mounts, further highlighting their importance. Perhaps the most significant object created is a monumental urn weighing nine tons and with a diameter of nearly three meters installed in 1825 at Rosendal, Charles XIV Jean’s palace in Djurgården in Stockholm.
The present vases resemble amphoras, vessels first produced in Mycenean pottery (14th century BC), which were used for storage and the transportation of food and drink. The two-part curved form was reprised by the Ancient Greeks and Romans, and has since become inexorably associated with Antiquity. As such, it was reprised by artists in the neo-classical period with great frequency, in pictures, sculptures and, as here demonstrated, works of decorative art of the highest order.
The present vase can be most closely compared to another dated to 1830 or later, of similar form and slightly smaller size (99 cm.) in the Swedish Royal Collection (HGK G V :st 11, illustrated in Sundblom, Tunander, Uggla, op. cit., p. 71, fig. 40). Another, similar vase with ormolu mounts and dated to 1800 is at Stockholm Castle (Sundblom, Tunander, Uggla, op. cit., p. 53). Owing to its rare, large scale, it is possible that the present pair of vases was initially created as a diplomatic gift to be offered by the Swedish Royal Court to an important visitor, before being acquired for the grand residence of a Sicilian family, by whom they were sold in 2002.