The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-06-30
PORTLAND VASE.
 COSTLIEST GLASS
 VASE IN THE WORLD

In the Room of Gold Ornaments and Gems in the famous British Mu- scum is the finest collection of med- als, gold ornaments, cameos and gems in the world. And in the place of honor stands the Portland vase, the finest and costliest glass vase in the world. It was bought by the Duke of Portland in 17S6 >for $5,145 and deposited in the British Museum in 1910. In 1845 it was shattered to bits by a madman, but 1t was skilfuI- 1y put together that if it were put on sale today, it would probably bring several times the amount paid for it 130 years ago.
 The name by which the vase is known is somewhat misleading as one might infer that it was fairly modern. The vase is, however, many centuries old, although the precise date of it's manufacture is unknown. It is ancient Roman work, perhaps of the third century. The vase is about one. foot in height and made of a dark blue glass, with figures standing out in opaque white glass
 The vase was discovered in 1894, in a sarcophagus found in hill near Rome. The Barberini family ac- quired it, and when Matthew Barber mi became Pope, the vase was placed in the Vatican. Known as the Bar berinin vase, it was later removed to the Barberini palace, where 1t re- mained for a century and half. Pow erty finally compelled the renowned Italian family to dispose of the vase, and they, sold it to a Scotsman in TITO.
 Twelve years later he sold it to Sir William Hamilton, husband of the notorious Lady Hamilton who en !. snared Nelson. Hamilton is said to have paid $5,000 for the vase, which he took with him to England. The vase was already famous among art lovers all over Europe, and many wealthy collectors tried to buy it. AmongA them was the Duchess of PortlanN, and to her Hamilton finally sold the vase: The price paid for it is not known.
 The duchess was a curious woman, obsessed by her desire to own beau tifuI curios. She was perfectly so- Der, and intoxicated only by empty vases" wrote the gossipy Sir Horace Walpole.
 A year later all the treasures of the duchess were sold and it was bought l by the Duke of Portland for $5,145. Josiah Wedgewood. the great potter wanted it, and his bids compelled the duke to pay much more than he ex- pected to. Finally he grew so alarm ed that he got word to Wedgewood that he would loan him the vase to copy, and then only did the spirit of
 rivalry cease. Wedgewood kept the vase for year, and three years more i he worked at his models before he
 produced what he regarded as a per
 feet copy. This was exhibited to the Queen, to many famous artists, and finally to the public. who thronged
 to the Wedgwood showrooms. The
 potter secured 50 subscriptions for
 copies of the vase which were to be
 sold at $50 each; but it is not thought | that he issued more than 30. Those
 that can be proved to be Wedgwood's
 own work are now sold for consider
 able sums.
 1 In 1910 the vase was put into the l British Museum, and there until 845 1t was admired by many thousands. On February of that year a scene painter named William Lloyd walk ed up to the vase, picked up a piece of sculpture and hurled it at the pre-
 cious glass obfect. In second the | almost priceless vase was in frag- ments. Lloyd could give no reason for his act and although he was sent to prison, he was released shortly af- | forward when a sympathizer paid his fine
 The pieces were carefully gathered . ut it seemed ironos ih.e
 could be put together as there were more than 200 fragments, many oi them chips so small that they coul6 hardly be seen. But John Double day, an employe of the museum
 welded them together so ingeniousI,
 that only by examining the vase care fully would one know that it hae
 ever been broken.-Boston Post.
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