2025 The Blue Pompeii Vase – College Version.
The 2025 interpretation of The Blue Pompeii Vase, also known as the Naples Vase, has been completed by Terri-Louise College and her supporters. It is the culmination of more than a decade of deliberations that have illustrated the power of the Stourbridge Glass industry. The team responsible for the 2012 Portland Vase Project have once again harnessed the glassmaker and artist’s skills of this world-renowned region to create a superb contemporary piece that will reinforce the reputations both of those who crafted it and the area in which they operate. The completed vase will be on display at Stourbridge Glass Museum, Wordsley.
The completed pieces created by Terri-Louise Colledge under the 2012 Portland Vase Project. Image courtesy of Graham Dale, Stourbridge.
Ian Dury
Having brought to a conclusion the 2012 Portland Vase Project, Ian Dury, the co-ordinator of the project, set his mind on the next project and what better than another masterpiece of the Roman Empire, The Blue Vase of Pompeii better known as the Naples Vase. His thoughts were explored with Graham Knowles, chairman of the British Glass Foundation, and Terri-Louise College. Graham offered his support having cameo glass in his blood stemming from his father, an avid collector of cameo glass, who had previously commissioned a small vase on a metal frame inspired by the Naples Vase. Terri-Louise at this time was reluctant to commit to another mammoth task.
Ian decided that a visit to the National Archaeological Museum in Naples to see for himself the original Amphoriskos was necessary and returned with the view that a new project would be viable at a future date.
Ian Dury at the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.
The project was put on the back burner, not least because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Blank
During the pandemic lockdown Graham Knowles took the time to clear out his loft, and to his surprise found tucked away in a corner an enormous cameo blank of opal over cobalt blue complete with a lid and a base, both of which had been glued on. Amazingly, little was known about this remarkable find that had clearly been in the family for decades. Graham had no knowledge of where it was produced or who had made it.
The blank was immediately identified as a potential for a stylised version of the Naples vase and reinvigorate the project that had been shelved due to the pandemic. Furthermore it removed the significant cost involved in producing a suitable blank making the project more viable.
Opal over cobalt blue cameo blank.
Having previously developed a project plan and sought funding the idea to use the blank was put to Terri who agreed to take the work in hand.
Work proceeded to removed the lid and foot by soaking it in water for 48 hours to soften the animal bone glue. The lid came away with no problem but the unwanted foot broke in half. It was then agreed that the rim and stem could be reworked to give a better resemblance of the Naples vase; this work was given to Richard Lamming of the Ruskin Glass Centre in Amblecote.
Richard Lamming reshaping the rim.