21st Century
The Portland Vase (Auldjo Jug) Project
On 16th June 2011 is was officially announced that a project had been set up to recreate the Portland Vase its unveiling was to be at the International Festival of Glass, in August 2012, and would coincide with the 400th anniversary of glass making in the Stourbridge area. The project was co-ordinated by Ian Dury, who has worked in the glass industry for 43 years. The glass used was sourced from Plowden & Thompson, the Cameo blank was blown by expert glass maker Richard Golding (founder of Okra glass) and the piece was carved by cameo carver Terri Louise Colledge. These were supported by a team of 12 craftsmen and women whose roles are detailed in the book on the Project by Graham Fisher M.B.E. (Click on image for details.)
Ian Dury, Richard Golding and Terri L. Colledge in front of the John Northwood statue. Cover image of the book chronicling the story of the project. Image James Measell.
Ian Dury, Richard Golding and Terri Colledge were invited to the British Museum, by Dr Paul Roberts (Curator Roman Art and Archaeology), to see the Portland Vase after the museum were made aware of the project. They were privileged to see the vase close up, out of the display. Richard could get dimensions etc., and Terri could examine the carving. Richard realised it had to be made by the “dipped” method as the opal case was about two thirds of the height of the vase and the handles were put on after the piece was made. The handle attached to the neck was on top of the cobalt and then attached to the white opal on the shoulder.
Richard Golding and Terri Colledge examining the Portland Vase at the British Museum.
(This observation and conclusion as to how it was made was the same as that concluded by Bill Gudenrath in 1988. Both are contrary to that employed by Mr Daniel Hancox, for Phillip Pargeter, who used the more familiar cupping method.)
It was at this meeting that Dr Roberts pointed out the Auldjo Jug with the comment “No-one has ever archived making a replica.” This comment did not go unnoticed and was subsequently picked up by the team.
Based on the decision to dip the blank there was for Richard the logistics of building a kiln to melt white opal so that he could dip the cobalt blue into it. (Richard usually made Terri’s cameo blanks by the cupping method) . Preparatory work also included testing the glass recipes by Plowden & Thompson, who sponsored the batch materials and mixing. Selecting the glass was crucial to match the colour as close as possible to the Roman original. Although Northwood’s 19th century replica is a masterpiece the colour is several shades lighter than the original, which in reflected light appears almost black.
The 24th September 2011 was set to be the day that the blanks were to be made in front of the team and an invited band of onlookers together with the media and one special guest John Northwood III the great grandson of the original. Richard had never worked in this studio nor as a member of the team who were to assist him, he had to quickly come to terms with the melt, the tools at his disposal and his new colleagues.
After a few tests to get the feel of the melt the first “warm-up” attempt resulted in the vase cracking off the punty into the glory hole; this was put down to the brittleness of the opal layer. With the first serious attempt too much glass was drawn for the handle that rendered it oversized for the Portland Vase.
Success was achieved with the fourth attempt, to rapturous applause before it was placed into the annealing lehr. After a short break three other Portland Vase blanks were completed. Now buoyed up by his success Richard decided to “go for broke” and created an Amphora shaped version together with an Auldjo Jug. Surely the first simultaneous blowing of a replica Portland Vase, Amphora and Auldjo Jug ever to have taken place; all were made in one day, Richard’s expertise knows no bounds.