Stock No: 14868

A monumental Regency stoneware urn, in the manner of the antique. This magnificent urn recalls the form of an Ancient Greek krater - a large vessel for mixing wine. The entire urn is dedicated to the God of Wine Bacchus (Dionysus), with a band of fruiting vines to the neck, underneath which is high-relief frieze depicting a Bacchic procession or thiasus, with revellers carrying cups of wine, bunches of grapes and the other trappings of a hedonistic feast. The serpents fashioned into handles are characteristic of Bacchic iconography and they are often associated with Bacchus, as Maenads - female followers of the God - wore snakes in their hair.

This urn is unlike any other we have come across, but echoes the popularity of themes from classical antiquity, made even more popular by the phenomenon of the Grand Tour. The great engraver and antiquarian Giovanni Battista Piranesi even produced an engraved volume solely dedicated to the designs of urns in the antique style. He then manufactured urns in his Italian workshops. In England, the famous manufacturer Eleanor Coade and designers such as Thomas Hope also produced urns in the antique manner for an eager public.

The urn is made from a weather impervious stoneware, similar to the famous Coade stone. Restoration to the handles has been carried out.


Link to: Antique, old vintage fountains, sculptures, garden furniture and statuary