A pair of Northern European painted pine Etruscan style flat backed vases, probably Scandinavian, 19th century

each of demi-tapering baluster form decorated with neo-classical figures in drapery and musicians, on a socle and leaf decorated plinth painted in terracotta on a black ground; formerly wall-mounted 

Jeremy Ltd, London

These charming flat backed vases are in good conserved condition, with repairs to finials and minor retouching to the painted surface. One with a small paint loss to the edge of the base.
"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."

The ‘Etruscan’ style developed as a distinct strain of the European neoclassical movement of the late 18^th century.  Interest in the furnishings, colour schemes and mural decoration of Ancient Roman dwellings was revived by the excavations at Herculaneum and Pompeii beginning in 1738, and prompted among other things a fashion for collecting excavated red and black figural vases, produced mainly in Ancient Greece but also by the Etruscans in Italy and popularly called ‘Etruscan Vases’ at the time.

The most notable collector was Sir William Hamilton, British Envoy to Naples from 1764-1800, who acquired over 700 vases which were sold to the British Museum in 1772 and widely known through the engraved reproductions published in 1766-67 by the Baron d’Hancarville in Antiquités étrusques, grecques et romaines tirées du cabinet de M. Hamilton. Hamilton continued collecting vases after this sale, and his later acquisitions were recorded by the German painter Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein in his Collection of Engravings from Ancient Vases (1795-1803). Both these publications made a significant contribution to the dissemination of Ancient Greek taste and sparked a vogue for creating ‘Etruscan’ interiors throughout Europe that lasted well into the 19^th century, particularly in England, Germany and Scandinavia.