"Collection of four Blue John vases", early 19th century.
Blue John, gilded and chiseled bronze.
Vase with cameo: 34x15x15 cm.
Vase with ram's heads: 34x14x14 cm.
Vase with festoons: 27x10x10 cm.
Amber vase: 40x12x12 cm.
Blue John is a precious form of a fragile and valuable mineral, fluorite, composed of calcium fluoride. The characteristic that made it a luxurious and inimitable material is the presence of extraordinary chromatic veins and contrasting bands of color. The name "Blue John" probably derives from the French bleu et jaune, adapted to the dialect of Cornish miners. It is considered the rarest mineral in Great Britain, as it can be extracted in very few places, unique in the world: in the Derbyshire hills and in the Treak Cliff Cavern and Blue John Cavern caves. Its popularity exploded in the 18th century, when it was chosen to create important artistic artifacts, such as vases. The latter are luxury objects in the Neoclassical style, often mounted with mercury-gilded or chiseled bronze applications. Objects of great elegance, these vases were chosen by the nobility to furnish their wealthy homes; some examples were also placed in Buckingham Palace.
Vase with cameo: it is mounted on an elegant pedestal. The circular medallion set in the pedestal is a Jasperware cameo, a decoration developed and made famous by Wedgwood in the 18th century to create cameos in the antique style. It is a complex and luxurious type of workmanship, which uses a very hard and fine stoneware ceramic.
Vase with ram's heads: the design is monumental. The body and the supporting cylindrical section are made of Blue John, while the square base is made of black marble, supported by gilded bronze corbels. The decoration, in chiseled ormolu bronze, is in full neoclassical style: the handles of the vase become two extraordinary ram's heads, an animal typically present in the decorations of Greek and Roman sacred altars.
Vase with festoons: it has a rare reddish color, due to the high concentration of iron oxides. The lid is surmounted by a knob with a gilded pine cone. The golden festoons that decorate the vase, intertwining flowers of all kinds, enhance the elegance of the vase and the contrast of colors.
Amber vase: it is a tribute to the pure beauty of the material, characterized by amber and ocher yellow color ranges. The mountings remain minimal, like a small pine cone-shaped knob.
