Bronze Age Gold from Wales

Urn-shaped vase, on a fluted stem, with a stepped round foot, slender leaves on the lower section, and pair of projecting bands below the rim. Between the bands are rectangular panels linked by chains. Handles, attached to the upper band, loop above the neck and taper down the stem. The steep domed cover has a tied laurel garland rim, strapwork forming six large ovals containing six-pointed stars on a pierced sun-burst ground, smaller ovals with husks, and an area of gadrooning below the round knop. Decorated with dark blue (beau bleu) ground overlaid with oeil de perdrix gilding, painted in grisaille on the front with putto, flying with bow and arrow and on the back with a wreathed quiver and bow.

"The shape of this vase and the grey monochrome grisaillepainting reflect the taste for neo-classical design that became popular in France from the 1760s. The grisaille painting was inspired by low-relief sculpture in the classical style. Few examples of this shape survive and it is found in two variants, one with a six-pointed star within the ovals on the cover (which explains its name, vase à étoiles), the other with an eight-petalled flower.

This vase has an incised mark 'Bl', attributed to Jean-Matthieu Blard. Blard, an anseur and tourneur (responsible for adding handles and for throwing objects in a mould), died in June 1772, suggesting a date of about 1772 for this vase."