Greek-Inspired Vessel Depicting Herkules and Centaurs (similar to the imagery from a 4th century Campanian Krater)

Inscriptions

On bottom: impressed: WEDGWOOD / [squiggle]

Label

While Wedgwood is known for its delicate blue-and-white jasperware, Josiah Wedgwood and his designers took inspiration from many sources, including contemporary antiquarian interests. They used Wedgwood’s own newly developed ceramic processes to make both direct replicas and more fanciful creations available to the public.

The image on this vessel comes from the Collection of Etruscan, Greek, and Roman Antiquities from the Cabinet of the Honourable William Hamilton, which was published in 1766 as a record of the collection of William Hamilton, a British diplomat and antiquarian who served as an ambassador to Naples. Wedgwood received a copy of the book in 1769 and used it as a design source for many vases, including this one. In addition to the scene of Herakles battling drunken centaurs, this vessel also features a reused decorative border from the book.

From the exhibition Stone, Sand, and Clay: Connecting Cultures in the Ancient Mediterranean, curated by Ashley B. Offill, Curator of Collections

Exhibition History

Stone, Sand, and Clay: Connecting Cultures in the Ancient Mediterranean, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, June 7, 2025 - Ongoing

Provenance

Found in the collection; catalogued, 2014.

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Subjects