Attributed to Francesco Antonio Franzoni (1734–1818) Italian, Rome, last quarter 18th century After the Antique

Overall the condition of the marble is very good, with some minor wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age. There are a few minor nicks and chips to the body of the vase, particularly the olive branches. There are some restored breaks to one of the handles, with only very slightly visible joints. Some larger chips have been restored, including one of the leaves of the olive branch towards the top between the handles, and one of the pearls to the edge of the lid. There are some further chips to the lower edge of the base. There is some naturally occurring veining visible on the surface, including a small area towards the right handle. A wax has been applied to the surface. The vase was made in three sections: the base, the body, and the lid. A very attractive piece.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This magnificent marble vase is a faithful copy of a celebrated 2nd-century Roman original in the Pio Clementino Museum, presented by Pope Pius VI in 1775. The ancient vase evidently held particular appeal for the Pope, who proudly had his name inscribed on its base and accorded it a place of honour in the famous Galleria dei Candelabri.

The vase is formed of a spreading domed lid with a leafy knop above a leaf-carved neck with double-scroll handles in the form of olive branches. Its body is decorated with a Greek-key and a rosette frieze above berried laurel-leaf sprays and birds and a gadrooned base. It is supported by a leaf-carved and fluted round spreading base with Vitruvian scroll edges, and a square plinth.

Variations of the model were produced in antiquity and beyond. An antique vase of almost identical form was exhibited at Colnaghi in London in 1983 (Gonzales-Palacios, op. cit.), while similar antique or neoclassical versions were owned by the European cognoscenti of the late 18th century. A related vase was recorded in the collection of King George III (Moses, op. cit.), and another acquired by the great connoisseur and collector Thomas Hope, who displayed it in the Picture Gallery of his London mansion (Hope, op. cit.). A further example, probably a copy of the Vatican vase, was in the collection of King Gustav III of Sweden at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, illustrated in a painting of 1796 by Pehr Hilleström.

Contemporary copies of classical sculpture were avidly sought after by 18th-century Grand Tourists from Northern Europe, predominantly Britain, many of whom were in the process of assembling prestigious art collections and building galleries in their residences to house them. A vase of the Vatican model, believed to have been acquired by William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne (1737-1805), was sold in these rooms on 8 July 1994 as lot 82. Lord Shelburne built up an important collection of antique marbles to display at his sumptuous Adam-designed London seat Lansdowne House in Berkeley Square. It is likely that he was aided in this task by the Roman architect and engraver Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778), who regularly supplied Grand Tourists with antique and neoclassical vases. Although not illustrated in Piranesi’s seminal work of engravings of 1778, the Pius VI vase was clearly held in high regard and eventually published by Piranesi’s spiritual successor Carlo Antonini in 1821 (op. cit.). This late publication may partially explain why exact reproductions of the model like the present vase are relatively rare.

The intertwining foliage and Greek key of the present vase are more elaborately carved than in the Shelburne example and thus closer in form to the original at the Vatican. Its high quality and faithfulness to the antique model suggest that the present vase was produced by a master carver active in Rome around 1800, who was perhaps involved in the restoration of antiquities. Like other recorded copies of its kind, the vase was probably acquired by an eminent Grand Tourist and displayed among a collection of artistic splendours of its time.

RELATED LITERATURE
T. Hope, Household Furniture and Interior Decoration, London, 1807, pls. 2 and 20; H. Moses, A Collection of Antique Vases…, Milan, 1814, pl. 28;  C. Antonini, Manuale di vari ornamenti component la serie de’ vasi antichi, Rome, 1821, vol. 1, pl. 28; A. Gonzales-Palacios, Il Tempio del Gusto. Le Arti Decorative in Italia fra classicismi e barocco. Roma e il Regno delle due Sicilie, Milan, 1984, vol. 2, pp. 106-107, 126