Copy of the Roman glass Portland Vase now in the British Museum in solid black jasper with white jasper relief decoration the two handled vase in the shape of an amphora one side shows on the left the image of a nude male emerging from an architectural structure and grasping the arm of a recumbent draped female figure holding a sea serpent above her is a flying cupid holding his bow and arrows to the right is a tree and a nude male figure resting his right leg on the stump his chin in his right hand which is resting on his knee on the other side left is a draped male figure seated on a rocky structure next to a column he looks over his shoulder to his left at a central figure a draped recumbent female lying on the rocky base looking slightly left and with her right arm reaching over her head behind her and to the right is the figure of a draped seated male looking over his right shoulder at the central figure underneath each handle is a bearded mask the base with the image of a cloaked figure head lowered wearing a wrapped headdress with right arm raised to face in the background foliage the white relief has been selectively shaded using a black jasper slip to give the impression of enhanced translucency

Portland Vase copy

Wedgwood

About 1790