PAIR OF COVERED VASES - Lot 25

PAIR OF COVERED VASES Baluster-shaped, in Blyberg porphyry on a pedestal. On a square base. The chased and gilded bronze handle is shaped like a pinecone. Sweden,circa 1800 Height: 47 cm Bibliography. Porphyry. Red Imperial Porphyry. Power and Religion, Dario del Bufalo Allemandi C. Note. In 18th-century Sweden, the discovery of rich veins of porphyry in the Älvdalen region marked the start of luxury artisanal production. By the end of the century, specialized workshops had sprung up, giving rise to a tradition of cutting and polishing this rare stone. By the early 1800s, these creations, sold in Stockholm under the aegis of the Manufacture de Porphyre d'Elfdal, were highly prized. Archives from the time, such as the detailed price lists for the pieces on offer, bear witness to their success. These objects, symbols of refinement, particularly appealed to the European aristocracy, who offered them as diplomatic gifts. Among the most famous connoisseurs was Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, crowned King of Sweden under the name of Charles XIV Jean, who used them as a prestige tool between 1818 and 1844.